My Golden Retriever is limping. Should I get a biopsy for cancer?

Hi. There is an abnormality in the cores of the bone near shoulder. Cancer is a possibility, along with bone infections (bacterial or fungal), or inflammatory diseases. Unfortunately with her being older, cancer is higher on the list then younger pets. Based on this xray, we can't say for sure. I would recommend sending these x-rays to a radiology specialist, which your veterinarian can do. A bone biopsy can be done as well to determine if the changes are consistent w cancer. Good luck.

Limping is a sign of pain in dogs, so yes Allegra is in pain if she is limping. I would recommend having a bone biopsy done. There is a possibility that she is suffering from an osteosarcoma (bone cancer), and a biopsy is a logical next step. Dogs are very good at hiding pain and oftentimes don't show how painful they truly are until much further along in their illness. I do recommend having this bone biopsy done.

Generally that little piece of bone will eventually scar down to the joint capsule and will not cause much of a problem. If it becomes a chronic source of lameness, it can likely be arthroscopically removed. The thought is that maybe there was some arthritis forming and a small piece broke off. It could also be the result of trauma or a developmental condition causing a flap of unhealthy bone to form of the femoral head that eventually broke off. Please post again if you have any further questions.

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.

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.

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!

Riley licking the elbow that much has me concerned, especially with his age. I would push to have an x-ray or two performed on the affected leg to make sure there is no underlying disease with the bone (bone tumor, bone fragments in joint, etc.) that needs to be addressed. It also looks as though Riley has caused a hot spot over his elbow. I would recommend keeping a cone around his head and applying an ointment such as Sentry Wound Cream (over the counter at Petco) as directed on the box. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be mroe than happy to help you further.