Osteosarcoma is serious form of bone cancer generally affecting large and giant dog breeds. Each year, approximately 10,000 dogs are diagnosed with this aggressive and very debilitating condition. Concerned owners often may question what the survival rates for their dogs are, however, in most cases the answer to this question will vary.
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Effects
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While osteosarcoma may virtually affect any type of bone, in dogs it typically affects the bones of the limbs. It is unfortunate, that often the first symptoms of osteosarcoma, (mainly consisting of pain, swelling and lameness) are noticed once the tumor has already started to progress.
Significance
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As the bone cancer progresses, the level of discomfort in the dog increases as the tumor spreads outward destroying bone tissue and replacing it with weaker tumerous bone. This structure will cause the dogs to become more prone to fractures, which unlike real bone, will not heal.
Treatment
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Once the dog is diagnosed, most commonly the dog's leg is amputated even though in some cases, bone grafts may used to try to save the leg. Chemotherapy is then initiated to reduce the spreading of the tumor (metastatis) and to relieve pain.
Prognosis
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According to Vetinfo4dogs, generally, dogs affected by osteosarcoma have median survival rates of less than one year. However, without chemotherapy, according to Petwellbeing.com, dogs have a median survival rate of four to five months, regardless if the affected limb is amputated or not.
Consideration
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While amputation is often the best solution to relieve pain, more often than not, dogs are surprisingly capable of coping with the loss of limb very well.
Warning
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The highly invasive nature of osteosarcoma makes it a very difficult condition to manage. It appears, that younger dogs generally are prone to the most aggressive forms of bone cancer with shorter survival rates compared to older dogs.
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