Bone Cancer In Dogs

Bone cancer is a very serious condition that often occurs in dogs and although it is dangerous, it can be treated and cured if diagnosed in time. Fortunately, there are several different warning signs of bone cancer in dogs that can help you to make the decision to take your pet to the veterinarian to get diagnosed. Generally, you will notice pain or tenderness on a limb or paw and your dog might be very protective of the affected area. You might also notice swelling or a physical lump on the limb. If you see any of these symptoms, then you should take your dog in for a check.

In order to determine if your dog has bone cancer, also known as osteosarcoma, your vet will probably do several checks and examinations to be sure. The first thing your vet will do is an x-ray, which can help to locate the exact area that might be affected. Generally, bone cancer will be very easily detected on an x-ray and this might be all that needs to be done.

Your vet also might do a biopsy of the area if there is a visible lump. He will probably do this after an x-ray shows a lump anyway, to test whether or not the tumor is malignant. To do a biopsy, your vet will do a minor surgery to remove a small part of the tissue in the area of the lump and do laboratory tests to determine malignancy. This is only slightly painful and although your dog might fight it, it is a very brief process.

Your vet also might opt for some other scans if the x-ray is non-conclusive. Some typical scans are CT-Scans and PET-Scans, which are more detailed than an X-Ray and make diagnosis much easier. Again, if your doctor finds a lump using one of these tests, he will perform a biopsy to test for cancer.

If your doctor doesn’t find cancer, then it could be a benign cyst or tumor and you should breathe a sigh of relief. You might opt to have it removed if it is large, but otherwise it should leave your dog unaffected. However, if the tumor is malignant, then you need to prepare yourself for some rough days ahead. Luckily, treating bone cancer in dogs is possible and it is highly likely that your dog will live a full and healthy life. However, if the cancer is noticed late and has spread to the rest of the body, then you might have to consider euthanasia. Check with your vet before making any decision of this magnitude because it is highly possible that with amputation and radiation and/or chemotherapy, your dog will live for up to 4-5 more years.