Content
- Bone Cancer in Dogs
- Symptoms of Bone Cancer in Dogs
- Diagnosis of bone cancer in dogs
- Treatment of Bone Cancer in Dogs
- Palliative and complementary treatment
We now know that pets par excellence, dogs and cats, are susceptible to numerous diseases that we can also observe in humans. Fortunately, this growing knowledge is also due to a veterinary medicine that has developed, evolved and now has various means of diagnosis and treatment.
Studies carried out on the incidence of tumors in dogs consider approximately that 1 out of 4 dogs will develop some type of cancer during their lifetime, therefore, we are facing a pathology that must be known so that we can treat it with the greatest as soon as possible.
In this article by Animal Expert we talk about Symptoms and Treatment of Bone Cancer in Dogs.
Bone Cancer in Dogs
Bone cancer in dogs also known as osteosarcoma, it is a type of malignant tumor that, despite being able to affect any part of the bone tissue, is mainly detected in the following structures:
- Radius distal region
- Proximal region of the humerus
- Distal region of the femur
Osteosarcoma affects mainly large and giant breed dogs Rottweiller, São Bernardo, German Shepherd and Greyhound are especially susceptible to this pathology.
Like any other type of cancer in dogs, osteosarcoma is characterized by abnormal cell reproduction. In fact, one of the main features of bone cancer is the rapid migration or metastasis of cancer cells through the bloodstream.
Bone cancer usually causes metastases in lung tissue, on the other hand, it is strange that cancer cells are found in bone tissue as a result of metastasis from a previous cancer.
Symptoms of Bone Cancer in Dogs
The most prevalent symptoms in canine osteosarcoma are the pain and loss of mobility. Subsequently, physical exploration will reveal a broader symptomatology, but mainly focused on the osteoarticular level:
- Inflammation
- Ache
- Limp
- Nose bleed
- neurological signs
- Exophthalmos (eyeballs that protrude too far)
Not all symptoms have to be present, as more specific ones, such as neurological ones, only occur depending on the affected skeletal area.
On many occasions the suspicion of fracture delays the osteosarcoma diagnosis delaying the implementation of the proper treatment.
Diagnosis of bone cancer in dogs
The diagnosis of canine osteosarcoma is carried out mainly through two exams.
The first is a diagnostic imaging. The dog is submitted to an X-ray of the symptomatic region, in cases of bone cancer, it is intended to observe whether the affected bone tissue shows regions with bone malnutrition and others with proliferation, following a specific pattern typical of this malignant tumor.
If the radiograph makes you suspect an osteosarcoma, the diagnosis should finally be confirmed by a cytology or cell study. For this, a biopsy or tissue extraction must be performed first, the best technique to obtain this sample is fine needle aspiration, as it is painless and does not require sedation.
Afterwards, the sample will be studied under a microscope to determine the nature of the cells and determine if they are cancerous and typical of osteosarcoma.
Treatment of Bone Cancer in Dogs
Currently the first-line treatment is amputation of affected limb with adjuvant chemotherapy, however, treatment of canine osteosarcoma should not be confused with recovery from this disease.
If only the amputation of the affected limb is performed, the survival is 3 to 4 months, on the other hand, if the amputation is performed together with the chemotherapy treatment, the survival rises to 12-18 months, but in no case the hope of life is similar to that of a healthy dog.
Some veterinary clinics are beginning to rule out amputation and replace it with a graft technique, where the affected bone tissue is removed but the bone is replaced by bone tissue from a cadaver, however, complementation with chemotherapy is also necessary and the life expectancy after the intervention is similar to the values we described above.
Obviously, the prognosis will depend on each case, taking into account the dog's age, the promptness of the diagnosis and the possible existence of metastases.
Palliative and complementary treatment
In each case, the type of treatment must be evaluated, this evaluation must be done by the veterinarian but always taking into account the wishes of the owners.
Sometimes, in older dogs whose quality of life will not be improved after the intervention, the best option is to opt for a palliative treatment, that is, a treatment that does not have cancer as an object of eradication but the symptom relief.
In any case, faced with a pathology characterized by great pain, its treatment must be urgent. Also see our article on alternative therapies for dogs with cancer.
This article is for information purposes only, at PeritoAnimal.com.br we are not able to prescribe veterinary treatments or perform any type of diagnosis. We suggest that you take your pet to the veterinarian in case it has any type of condition or discomfort.