# Need a little help here, Bone Cancer



## airotciv (Mar 6, 2005)

I lost a dog 15 years ago to bone cancer, now I'm dealing with it again. One of my dogs, 10 years old, has been diagnosised (sp?) with bone cancer. My options are to remove her back leg ( she can hardly walk as it is, due to hip problems) have Kemo For $5000-10,000 and hope for the best or do nothing and make her life as good as it can be. I don't have $5000.00 to go here, I wish I did. So what would you do? I know you really can't answer that for me, but I would like to hear what you think.


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## GoldenMom (Jan 2, 2005)

I would make the dog as comfortable as possible. Chemo will prolong life a little bit, but would probably not be worth it to me with my own dogs. I would recommend removing the leg is she has 3 other good legs because the tumor is going to be a source of great pain. If she won't be able to get around 3 legged, then obviously you can't take the leg. A NSAID (ie Rimadyl, Deramaxx, Metacam) and a pain reliever (ie tramadol) can help keep the dog comfortable-ask your vet what they would recommend. Sorry your friend is going through this.


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## Tango (Aug 19, 2002)

I've seen carts that attach to a dog's back end to give them mobility in just these sort of situations. Perhaps someone can provide a link for you. If, as Goldenmom says, the tumor will be a source of great pain, perhaps you can provide her with a little help in this way. Given your situation, that is what I would do for my own dog. Best wishes.


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## chma4 (Feb 27, 2005)

She is 10, just make her last moments her happiest. I think it is too much for an older dog to endure these types of surgeries. if she were 5 , maybe my opinion would be different.


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## momlaffsalot (Sep 9, 2004)

Aw, that's so heartbreaking. I would put watch her closely, love her every day and put her down when she lets you know it's time. I'm so sorry.


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## Ravenlost (Jul 20, 2004)

I have to agree with chma4 and momlaffsalot. We recently had a brush with this when the vets thought our eight-year-old lab had bone cancer in a rear leg. I did some research online and we talked with our vet before deciding that we would not go to extreme measures. Hubby also talked with a coworker who'd lost a dog to bone cancer. It seemed best that we keep the dog comfortable until he needed us to let him pass on. For us, it didn't come to that and I wish it hadn't for you. My heart goes out to you.


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## melina (May 10, 2002)

We just went through a similar thing with a 4 year old dog with lymphoma. Do the chemo and prolong the life for a few months or do pallitive treatment. We opted for steroids which gave her 2 relatively comfortable months. We had plenty of time to baby her and spoil her, then the nodes began to swell again. We made the decision to put her down when she quit eating. It was hard, but I'd do the same thing if I had it to do again.


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## hrslvrtrailridr (Jan 9, 2007)

Don't feel guilty because you can't afford expensive treatment (which may or may not work), just love your doggie until the time comes to say goodbye. I feel for you.


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## homeinmontana (Jul 21, 2004)

My wolfhound was diagnosed with osteosarcoma (bone cancer) late in Oct of last year, and he was put to sleep on Nov 13. I can't really give you any advice, but I can tell you how we handled it, and why we made the decision we did.

Andre had been limping a little and I thought he had strained his front leg. It went on for maybe a week or two, and wasn't getting better so I took him to the vet. An exam, an x-ray, and a diagnosis. Bone cancer. I talked to the vet at length, then went home and did my own research. I found out that in most cases, by the time it's diagnosed the cancer will have micro-metastisized(sp?). What that means is that even though it may be so small that it's undetectable on exam or x-ray, it most likely has already spread to other areas. The survival rate is not a lot better or longer with any kind of treatment than without treatment. That includes chemo, amputation, and anything else I know about. Amputation does not provide a cure in most cases, but is a pain control measure.

We decided not to treat. Andre was 7 yrs old, which is old for a wolfhound. He had arthritis in his hips, and had slowed down a lot even before the cancer. We gave him Rimadyl for pain control, and when that wasn't enough, we knew it was time. It was a really quick decline. One of the things that can happen with this disease is pathologic fracture of the leg where the tumor is. It will never heal and is extremely painful. I did not let my boy go through that. 

Andre was a big goofy, slobbery, shedding, weird looking giant of a dog. He always layed at my feet and acted like he was the queen's dog in the old movies. He was loyal, came every single time I called him, and loved me like madness. I loved him like madness too, from the very first time I ever clapped my eyes on him as a puppy at the animal shelter, to the very end. I loved him enough to let him go. I have no regrets about how we handled it. (But I did cry while typing this, its still pretty fresh)

This is a VERY hard decision for you. My heart goes out to you.


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## belladulcinea (Jun 21, 2006)

Go with your instincts about this, your dog will let you know when it's time, ours did. (((hugs)))


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## Tricky Grama (Oct 7, 2006)

I'm so sorry. Dogs are way too neat to have these things happen.

We had a small dog that we loved so much. She developed bone cancer in her back leg also. I deeply regret NOT amputating & letting her live out her years on 3 legs. Dogs get along great like this & I feel she had more life in her. We had her put to sleep & buried her in the back yard. It was winter so I saw her 'gravesite' out the kitchen window & even after the grass covered it, I was depressed.

I think every situation is different, you have to go w/what you feel is best. If your dog is large, 10 years is 'elderly'. If it's a small dog, it's not unusual to have another 8 years left.

Hugs-
Patty


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## moonspinner (Jul 2, 2002)

Always a personal choice but I think you should ask what should be in the dog's best interest. I've seen countless pet owners who just can't bear to give up their dog and invest thousands$ in an effort to prolong it - for their sakes, not the animal's. But what would the dog want? I can't imagine chemo is any piece of cake for them to go through.


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## hisenthlay (Feb 23, 2005)

I'm so sorry for your situation. If it were me, I would try to get a real good idea from the vet(s) what her likely prognosis would be if you removed the leg. If the cancer is really isolated there, and removing the leg would be a cure, then I would do it, *IF* the dog was otherwise happy and healthy and in good shape such that she could withstand such a surgery and had good prospects to live happily at least a year or more after the surgery. Otherwise, it seems that palliative care is the way to go.  

My 11.5 year old dog was diagnosed with lymphoma a few months ago, and he's been on chemo for it. Chemo for lymphoma is apparently much different than for osteosarcoma--my vet said that lymphoma is 80% responsive to chemo, and that it gives him every chance of living another year or more happily. He's not sick on the meds at all--just his old happy self. I wouldn't have done it, though, if the success rate was as low as it apparently is with osteosarcoma--that's a lot of money for a slim possibility of a few extra months. I'm so sorry for you and your buddy. I work with a woman who rescues greyhounds, and she has had this problem with her dogs too often--it's a scary and sad thing. I wish you guys the best, and you're in my thoughts.


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## GoldenMom (Jan 2, 2005)

hisenthlay said:


> I'm so sorry for your situation. If it were me, I would try to get a real good idea from the vet(s) what her likely prognosis would be if you removed the leg. If the cancer is really isolated there, and removing the leg would be a cure, then I would do it, *IF* the dog was otherwise happy and healthy and in good shape such that she could withstand such a surgery and had good prospects to live happily at least a year or more after the surgery. Otherwise, it seems that palliative care is the way to go.
> 
> My 11.5 year old dog was diagnosed with lymphoma a few months ago, and he's been on chemo for it. Chemo for lymphoma is apparently much different than for osteosarcoma--my vet said that lymphoma is 80% responsive to chemo, and that it gives him every chance of living another year or more happily. He's not sick on the meds at all--just his old happy self. I wouldn't have done it, though, if the success rate was as low as it apparently is with osteosarcoma--that's a lot of money for a slim possibility of a few extra months. I'm so sorry for you and your buddy. I work with a woman who rescues greyhounds, and she has had this problem with her dogs too often--it's a scary and sad thing. I wish you guys the best, and you're in my thoughts.


It is extremely unlikely that amputation would cure osteosarcoma. Like homeinmontana posted, it almost always has spread even if you can't see it on x-rays yet.

On VIN the survival times posted are about 4 months with either no treatment or just amputation and about 12 months with surgery + chemo.

Lymphoma is different than osteosarcoma. I *would* definitely give chemo for lymphoma to my dogs. Lymphoma is so responsive and the dogs are so normal feeling/acting when the chemo works that I couldn't imagine not giving my own dogs the good chance at a good long time being symptom free. Osteosarcoma is much harder on dogs (at least that's what I've seen). Some dogs do great with amputation and chemo, others not so much. Amputation would be extremely hard on my old dog unless the tumor was in his bad leg-if it wasn't there's no way he could function. So I wouldn't do it. And I highly doubt I'd do any chemo for osteosarcoma on him. The young dog, well that's a bit of a different story. If she got it while she was still young (we just diagnosed a 2-3 year old Dobe with osteosarcoma!), I most likely would do the surgery and chemo (but only if she were still young).


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## hisenthlay (Feb 23, 2005)

I'm sorry to hear that, about amputation itself probably not being a cure. You always want there to be some THING that you can do to make it better, but there comes a day when there's nothing much left to be done. Palliative care sounds like the way to go, then, and I wish and hope that the time she has left is filled with love and sweetness for all of you.


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## Tango (Aug 19, 2002)

Being on the other end of a monitor, it is hard to give anything but a general answer; a vague one with limited information. Both Goldenmom and HomeinMontana said the amputation would be for pain relief, not for a cure. All else being equal, I would want my dog to be pain free for as long as possible, which is why I suggested the amputation and the cart.


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## airotciv (Mar 6, 2005)

Thanks everyone. We have lived with this once before, surgery after surgery, it was no cure, It was being selfish. I didn't want to lose her. When she looked me with those eyes and said enough is enough, I knew, it was time. I just don't to make the same mistake again. I love her, and I think it may be best to just make her happy, until those eyes tell me it is time. Thanks again.


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