"Typical appearance of osteosarcoma in the carpus (wrist) of a dog. Photo credit Animal Cancer Imaging Center
Cancer is one of the worst diagnoses any owner can get as pertains to the health of a beloved pet.
Like in humans, there are numerous types of cancer that affect many of our canine and feline companions' body systems. One cancer that severely compromises a pet's quality of life and ultimately leads to the euthanasia decision as a result of the extreme pain it causes is osteosarcoma.
Osteosarcoma is a malignant cancer of bone. Malignant means that there's a high likelihood that the cancer will spread and generally holds a worse prognosis. Benign means that there's a lower likelihood that the cancer will spread and generally has a better prognosis. Regardless of being benign or malignant, all cancers should be taken seriously and merit consultation with a board-certified veterinary oncologist to get the best assessment as to the treatment options available and the prognosis for remission and return to an acceptable quality of life.
Want to learn more about osteosarcoma? Check out this article Canine & Feline Osteosarcoma: Causes, Diagnosis & Treatment
Dr. Patrick Mahaney
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Copyright of this article (2018) is owned by Dr. Patrick Mahaney, Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist and Certified Veterinary Journalist. Republishing any portion of this article must first be authorized by Dr. Patrick Mahaney. Requests for republishing must be approved by Dr. Patrick Mahaney and received in written format.