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My dog lived years with untreated bone cancer. Was it misdiagnosed?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Chihuahua | Male | neutered | 14 years and 10 months old | 7.3 lbs

Untreated Canine bone cancer means death within 3mo? My dog alive 1.5 yr no treatment Y still alive? Misdiagnosis? Past Timeline: 1.5 yrs lameleg vet visit x-ray mass on femur cancer diag 6mo an visit x-ray femur/pelivis .5 gone, no an shots 8wks lesion LS Ribs 2wks bumps up spine behind ears 2dys disorient stomach pain seizures drinking and peeing allot and still eating has bad teeth 2day 8 ice cream seized vomit Plz help!! Euth in 12hrs cuz cancer. Provide possib of something else PLZ! Infec

4 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA

Answered By Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA

Veterinarian, Certified Dog Trainer

Published on September 6th, 2019

Hi there. I'm afraid I don't understand all the abbreviations in your question, so it's hard for me to make sense of what you're asking. In general, I can tell you that osteosarcoma (the most common type of bone tumor in dogs) is a very aggressive type of cancer, and most dogs do not live more than a few weeks to months after diagnosis without amputation and chemotherapy.

So if your dog lived for 1.5 years after the initial diagnosis, he may have simply been very fortunate, or he may have had some other type of bone tumor, or some other problem entirely - since I didn't get to examine him and the time and have not seen his x-rays, I have no way of knowing.

If your dog has now passed away and you would like to get a more definitive answer as to what was wrong, I would recommend having an autopsy done - called a necropsy in animals. Your veterinarian should be able to advise you on how to arrange this, if you wish.
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Related Answers from Veterinarians

  • Answered By Jenna Beyer, DVM, MBA, cVMA

    Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist

    Published on August 18th, 2017

    I don't see any abnormalities in the radiographs that you show. Bone cancer can occasionally be difficult to diagnose before it is very severe. To biopsy a bone for possible cancer, you need to know where in the bone to sample, so it is not as simple as just picking any part you want. Advanced diagnostics like MRI or CT may be more helpful at looking more closely at the soft tissue (muscles, tendons, ligaments) and bone to see if there are any abnormalities. You will likely need a referral to a specialty hospital for this procedure. If you are concerned about something life-threatening like bone cancer, I would recommend that you speak with either vet about a referral.

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    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

  • Answered By Sara Farmer, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on March 22nd, 2019

    A bone aspirate is pretty definitive for diagnosing osteosarcoma, and I would trust a pathologist's reading of the images that you posted. I also think the radiograph looks consistent with a primary bone tumor, and the location is typical as well. If you are still interested in some treatment palliative radiation might be an option that could bring some comfort for a period of time without amputation. Ask your vet about palliative options.

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    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

  • Answered By Emily Fukuzato, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on June 10th, 2019

    Hello and thank you for reaching out about your dog. These xrays are very concerning for either a fungal infection (very much dependent on where you are living) or a bone cancer (osteosarcoma). These xrays I am sure have also been evaluated by your veterinarian and hopefully a radiologist as well. I would recommend chest xrays to look for cancer metastasis or diffuse fungal infection and you may need to have your veterinarian perform a bone core biopsy for a diagnosis. This is usually very painful and your dog should be on good pain meds and rest during this time. Treatment options are very different for bone cancer vs. fungal infection so a proper diagnosis is extremely important. Best of luck!

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    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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