Bone Cancer in Dogs
Treating Bone Cancer in Dogs
Bone cancer treatment often entails amputation of the affected limb and chemotherapy. When combined with chemotherapy, amputation helps many dogs live for a year or more following surgery.
Amputation may sound like a drastic move, but most dogs can walk well on three legs if they're otherwise healthy. And, in addition to ridding the body of the source tumor, which will help stop the spread of the cancer, amputation should get rid of much of the dog's pain.
Although amputation is the general recommendation for treatment of bone cancer, some pet parents opt for a limb-sparing surgery that removes the affected bone and replaces it with donor bone from a dog cadaver. However, 44 percent of dogs who undergo this procedure develop infections, so you should talk to your vet and consider all your options carefully.
Sources
Animal Cancer Center. "Bone Cancer in Dogs." Colorado State University Veterinary Training Hospital. Colorado State University. (May 10, 2011)
www.csuanimalcancercenter.org/assets/files/Osteosarcoma.pdf
Brevitz, Betsy. "The Complete Healthy Dog Handbook." Workman Publishing, 2009. (May 10, 2011)
http://books.google.com/books?id=DA8Nb56R3qsC
Edredge, Debra, Margaret H. Bonham. "Cancer and Your Pet." Capital Books, 2005. (May 10, 2011)
http://books.google.com/books?id=-pU4pfEGqggC
Messonnier, Shawn. "The Natural Vet's Guide to Prevending and Treating Cancer in Dogs." New World Library, 2006. (May 10, 2011)
http://books.google.com/books?id=J5UYuxN_W6MC
McCullough, Susan. "Senior Dogs For Dummies." John Wiley and Sons, 2004. (May 10, 2011)
http://books.google.com/books?id=hGysmmcwuFwC
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