My young dog has bone cancer but no other symptoms. Is it cancer?

I have had many cases where the dogs/cats limp but don't seem overly painful. I think if you do not want a bone biopsy amputation is the best way to go because even with an invasive fungal disease most of the time you cannot treat the bone properly and you amputated to remove the fungal infection.

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.

Osteosarcoma can’t be totally diagnosed by an X-ray, and this doesn’t look definitive to me. I recommend taking him to an orthopedic specialist for a second opinion, and they can take another X-ray to compare with this. If it’s bone cancer the moth eaten area will probably be larger or more defined. They can also do a bone biopsy to confirm the diagnosis. He could be lame from a shoulder problem, or even pain radiating down his leg from a disc in his neck. Hopefully he is on pain medication. In my opinion the next step to be sure of the diagnosis would be to get an exam with a specialist. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Riot.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Abby. I am glad that she will see her veterinarian. She could have a cancerous growth, but hopefully it is a benign mass such as a cyst or other type of growth. A procedure known as a fine needle aspirate is commonly performed to diagnose a mass. The veterinarian will use a small needle to collect a sample of cells to evaluate under the microscope. Based on these results, treatment recommendations can be made. For example, if the mass appears cancerous, then surgery will be recommended. Bone cancer occurs in dogs, but is not common in the location shown in your pictures. So this is less likely. I hope this information helps!

Oh no, I'm so sorry Harvey has taken a turn for the worse! Yes, it is possible that this is cancer, and if he has a swollen front leg and can bare little weight, I would be concerned that he is suffering from osteosarcoma (cancer of the bone). I would have him seen by a vet immediately to have his leg examined and x-rays. This will be very painful for him, and the x-rays can diagnose if he does have an osteosarcoma. Unfortunately, an osteosarcoma is a highly malignant, fast spreading type of cancer. Amputation of the leg is an option, and with amputation, the dog can have an addition three months of life depending on if the cancer has spread or not. I would take Harvey into a vet now. I'm sorry :-(

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! The fact that these biopsies have come back inconclusive does not mean that this is not cancer. Unfortunately, this is very likely an aggressive form of cancer. After seeing these images, my main concern is that this is possibly a tumor arising from one of the ribs or sternebrae such as osteosarcoma for instance. In one of the images I see that there is likely pulmonary nodules which are most likely due to metastasis or spread of this cancer. It is hard for me to advice further without being able to look at more images or know more about the case. I would encourage you to check in again with them as another biopsy could be performed. Also, if there is truly already signs of metastasis, the treatment options and prognosis are also limited. I would mention to them the possibility of being referred to a veterinary oncologist who can look at the case with more details and advice further. I really hope they can help you and your boy!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I am so sorry about Chunk's diagnosis! This is a terrible situation! If Chunk is having such a hard time now, it will likely be the same if the rear leg was amputated. Amputation is just palliative unfortunately, meaning it buys you and the pet time. Most bone cancers have microscopically spread by the time they are diagnosed. If Chunk's tumor is a fibroscarcoma then it is slower to spread and he could get more good time if he loses weight and is able to learn how to get around with 3 legs. So, if you are not ready to give up or give in to the situation, ask to have a biopsy done of the tumor so you know what cancer you are dealing with. If it is a fibroscarcoma then amputate and deal with losing the weight afterwards. If it is osteosarcoma then I think putting him down is fair. I am again very sorry that this is happening to you and Chunk. He is too young!