Osteosarcoma

Osteosarcoma is an aggressive cancer of the bone.

Symptoms

Signs of a bone tumor usually include a hard swelling on the leg, lameness and pain.

Bone cancer can affect a dog at any age. The condition can be misdiagnosed as a strain or sprain. Within a short time, it causes constant severe pain and the bone weakens and eventually breaks.

An x-ray or bone biopsy can usually detect this condition.

Treatment

Determination must be made as to whether the cancer has spread and the general health of the dog, before deciding on the best treatment to use. Treatment options are pain relief medication, amputation if it can improve the quality of life for an extended period, chemotherapy or radiation therapy. Treating this disease is not only an emotional but also a financial commitment. You must treat both the pain and the cancer and ultimately make the quality-of-life decision when pain can no longer be controlled. Keep in mind that most dogs suffer severe pain in silence.