Definitive pets, dogs and cats, are now known to be susceptible to many diseases that can also be seen in humans.Fortunately, this growing knowledge is also due to veterinary medicine that has been developed, evolved and currently has various means of diagnosis and treatment.
Studies on the incidence of tumors in dogs estimate that 1 in 4 dogs will develop some type of cancer throughout their life, so we are faced with a pathology that you have to know to be able to treat it as soon as possible..
In this Animal Expert article, we talk about symptoms and treatment of bone cancer in dogs.
Bone cancer in dogs, also known as osteosarcoma, is a type of malignant tumor that, although it can affect any part of bone tissue, is mainly detected in the following structures:
Osteosarcoma mainly affects dogs of large and giant breeds of middle or advanced age, the dogs Rottweiller, Sao Bernardo, German Shepherd and Greyhound are particularly sensitive to this pathology.
Like any other type of cancer in dogs, osteosarcoma is characterized by abnormal cell reproduction, in fact, one of the main characteristics of bone cancer is the rapid migration or metastasis of cancer cells into the bloodstream.
Bone cancer usually causes metastasis in lung tissue, but it is strange that cancer cells are found in bone tissue as a result of metastasis of a previous cancer.
The most common symptoms of canine osteosarcoma are pain and loss of mobility, later the physical examination will reveal a broader but mainly osteoarticular symptomatology:
Not all symptoms should necessarily be present, as more specific symptoms, such as neurological symptoms, appear only according to the affected skeletal area.
In many cases, suspected fracture delays the diagnosis of osteosarcoma, delaying the implementation of appropriate treatment.
The diagnosis of canine osteosarcoma is mainly made by two tests
The first is an imaging. The dog is subjected to an x-ray on the symptomatic region, in case of bone cancer, it is planned to be observed if the affected bone tissue presents areas with bone malnutrition and others with proliferation, following a certain typical pattern of this malignant tumor.
If the x-ray suspects osteosarcoma, the diagnosis should finally be confirmed by cytology or cell study, for this at first a biopsy or tissue extraction should be performed, the best technique to obtain this sample is the lingion to the fine needle., because it is painless and does not require sedation.
The sample will then be studied under a microscope to check the nature of the cells and determine if they are cancerous and typical of osteosarcoma.
Currently, the first line of treatment is the amputation of the affected limb with adjuvant chemotherapy, however, the treatment of canine osteosarcoma should not be confused with the cure of this disease.
If only the affected limb is amputated, the survival is 3 to 4 months, on the other hand, if the amputation is performed in combination with chemotherapy treatment, the survival increases to 12-18 months, but by no means the life expectancy is similar.a healthy dog.
Some veterinary clinics are beginning to reject amputation and replace it with a transplant technique, where the affected bone tissue is removed but the bone is replaced by the bone tissue of a cadaver, however, chemotherapy supplementation and life expectancy after the procedure is similar to the values described above.
However, the prognosis will depend on each case, taking into account the age of the dog, the speed of diagnosis and the possible existence of metastasis.
In each case the type of treatment should be evaluated, this evaluation should be carried out by the veterinarian but always taking into account the wishes of the owners.
Sometimes, in older dogs whose quality of life will not improve after the procedure, the best option is to opt for palliative treatment, that is, a treatment that is not intended to eradicate cancer but relieve symptoms.
In all cases, in the face of a pathology characterized by severe pain, its treatment must be urgent.See also our article on alternative therapies for dogs with cancer.
This article is for informational purposes only, in Animal Expert.com.br we cannot prescribe veterinary treatments or make any type of diagnosis, we suggest taking your pet to the veterinarian in case of any type of condition or discomfort.
If you would like to read articles similar to, we recommend that you visit our Degenerative Diseases section.