My Dog Has Osteosarcoma: Should I Allow Amputation?
Dr. Demian Dressler is internationally recognized as “the dog cancer vet” because of his innovations in the field of dog cancer management, and the popularity of his blog here at Dog Cancer Blog. The owner of South Shore Veterinary Care, a full-service veterinary hospital in Maui, Hawaii, Dr. Dressler studied Animal Physiology and received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of California at Davis before earning his Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from Cornell University. After practicing at Killewald Animal Hospital in Amherst, New York, he returned to his home state, Hawaii, to practice at the East Honolulu Pet Hospital before heading home to Maui to open his own hospital. Dr. Dressler consults both dog lovers and veterinary professionals, and is sought after as a speaker on topics ranging from the links between lifestyle choices and disease, nutrition and cancer, and animal ethics. His television appearances include “Ask the Vet” segments on local news programs. He is the author of The Dog Cancer Survival Guide: Full Spectrum Treatments to Optimize Your Dog’s Life Quality and Longevity. He is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, the Hawaii Veterinary Medical Association, the American Association of Avian Veterinarians, the National Animal Supplement Council and CORE (Comparative Orthopedic Research Evaluation). He is also an advisory board member for Pacific Primate Sanctuary.
Updated: May 15th, 2024
Summary
Is amputation a good idea for dogs with osteosarcoma? Dr. Dressler looks at this decision from two perspectives. In this article: life expectancy.
Osteosarcoma is a common dog cancer in large breeds, and it most often affects the long bones of the legs. It’s very aggressive. That’s why most of the time, as soon as a veterinarian sees the lesions on an X-ray she will recommend amputation.
(Most dogs with this kind of cancer do not survive beyond a year with amputation alone. Editor’s note: To read more about canine osteosarcoma including the numbers and stats, see this article by Dr. Susan Ettinger, DVM, Dip. ACVIM (Oncology).)
The idea of removing your dog’s leg probably kicks up strong feelings. This is a hard choice.
So, should you allow an amputation? Or should you let your dog keep their leg and try to cope?
This is a heavy duty question. You probably want to prevent pain and suffering in your dog, so it’s a good idea to carefully contemplate this so you can cope.
I recommend considering at least two factors: Life Expectancy (how long life is), and Life Quality (how good life is).
In this article, we’ll look at life expectancy, and in the next, we’ll look at life quality.
What’s the Average Life Expectancy for Your Dog?
I know it sounds harsh, but realistically, dogs live much shorter lives than we do. I know that your ten-year-old dog might not seem old to you, but for some breeds, that’s a really advanced age. Particularly for large breeds, who tend to have shorter lives in general.
So, as you contemplate amputation, it’s nice to get an idea of the average life expectancy of your dog. There is an excellent review of dog life expectancy here.
Now, be careful with these numbers. These numbers are just averages, just like they are for people. The average man might live to 72, but that doesn’t mean any one individual man will die on his 72nd birthday. The same is true for dogs.
Now, What’s YOUR DOG’s Life Expectancy?
Once you have ascertained what your dog’s potential life expectancy is, you need to weigh what that really means for your dog. Your vet can help with this by discussing the impact of your pet’s individual health problems.
For example, if your dog is otherwise healthy, your dog’s life expectancy might be a little longer than if she were diabetic, or had heart disease. Just like a human, right?
So, basically, you need to talk to your vet to see if your dog is near to or past the expected length of life given everything else going on.
For example, if your dog is already close to what we would expect for his breed and health condition, amputation might not be what you want. You will have to carefully consider whether the payoff will be what you expect.
On the other hand, if your dog is not close to her life expectancy, you might want to go ahead.
Get a copy of the Dog Cancer Survival Guide for more helpful tools and information, including an entire chapter on osteosarcoma.
What’s Your Dog’s Personality?
So far we’ve focused on numbers to determine life expectancy. But an intangible factor that you must consider is your particular dog’s personality.
Some dogs just have this will to live. I’ve seen very senior dogs fight and spit and claw for life. I’ve seen young ones so passive that they don’t seem to much care one way or another whether you poke or prod.
If you have a dog that just wants to keep going, that’s a really good sign. These dogs are driven.
This will to live, this tenacity, boosts lifespans. That’s for sure! So, remember to consider this factor too.
If your dog is a fighter, they may be a good candidate for amputation, maybe even if they are at the end of their “expected lifespan.”
Remember There are Other Things That Can Be Done, Too
In addition to amputation, there are chemo protocols, covered in the osteosarcoma chapter in The Dog Cancer Survival Guide. But beyond the conventional tools, many osteosarcoma clients have seen benefits with modification of diet, lifestyle, life quality boosting and addition of nutraceuticals like Apocaps (I’m biased since I formulated it), plus other supplements or comfort care medications.
In addition, I highly recommend joining the TriPawds community for more information on amputation.
Don’t Forget to Consider Life Quality
Looking at life expectancy is the first step in determining whether to amputate your dog’s leg or not. Next, we look at life quality on three legs, plus a little about the surgery itself.
Regards,
Dr Dressler
Dr. Demian Dressler is internationally recognized as “the dog cancer vet” because of his innovations in the field of dog cancer management, and the popularity of his blog here at Dog Cancer Blog. The owner of South Shore Veterinary Care, a full-service veterinary hospital in Maui, Hawaii, Dr. Dressler studied Animal Physiology and received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of California at Davis before earning his Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from Cornell University. After practicing at Killewald Animal Hospital in Amherst, New York, he returned to his home state, Hawaii, to practice at the East Honolulu Pet Hospital before heading home to Maui to open his own hospital. Dr. Dressler consults both dog lovers and veterinary professionals, and is sought after as a speaker on topics ranging from the links between lifestyle choices and disease, nutrition and cancer, and animal ethics. His television appearances include “Ask the Vet” segments on local news programs. He is the author of The Dog Cancer Survival Guide: Full Spectrum Treatments to Optimize Your Dog’s Life Quality and Longevity. He is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, the Hawaii Veterinary Medical Association, the American Association of Avian Veterinarians, the National Animal Supplement Council and CORE (Comparative Orthopedic Research Evaluation). He is also an advisory board member for Pacific Primate Sanctuary.
I already submitted my story but I believe it belongs to this blog.
Sorry it is very long but I think I have to get our story out and hopefully I can at least help one dog with bone cancer. Please don’t hesitate to contact me. canecorsolv@gmail.com
Dear Dr.Dressler,
First of all thank you from the bottom of my heart for your wonderful guide. You helped me from the moment I started reading your book. Please excuse my English. I will try my best. I am born and raised in Germany so English is not my home language.
Let me tell you my story about my 3 year old Italian Mastiff girl Jasmine. I have six of them but Jasmine is my angel. I rescued Jasmine with the age of 4 month. From day one she was my shadow. Jasmine got parvo with the age of 7 month( even though she was fully vaccinated) . She spend 5 days in the hospital ( I did not leave her side) and she made it. A couple of month later she got giardia…so she had a really ruff start.
Jasmine hurt her self really bad on her left front leg beginning of March while playing in our back yard. She run full speed against a spotlight….. she screamed out loud and from this day on she didn’t want to use her front left leg anymore. We went to see the vet and she gave her some rimadyl……a couple of days later she got better. On April 12 I took her in (she was still limping) x-rays were taken. As soon as our vet walked through the door I knew something was wrong. She said I have bad news. It looks like Jasmine has bone cancer. My husband and I broke into pieces. She said she wanted to get a second opinion and referred us to a cancer specialist. Let me tell you some vets are cold and heartless. He told me that Jasmine has 6 weeks to 6 month to live to prepare myself to put her down (Excuse me I said who are you to tell me how long my dog has to live…..oh these are statistics he said. Statistics what are the chances on killing the cancer??? He said no chance. I hope I can walk in his clinic one day and show him the results.) ……. if he amputates her leg right away and if I decide on chemo and radiation she may live a year longer. Most likely it already has spread to her lungs.I felt sick to my stomach when I was done talking to him.
I have health insurance for all my dogs money was not an issue, The vet said to be 100% sure we should do a biopsy. I was totally against it but my husband said lets do it so we know for sure. The biopsy came back and confirmed bone cancer. Here we go. I was in denial and didn’t believe that my girl has cancer. I started searching the internet and here I found your guide. I didn’t hesitate…. the minute I got your guide I started reading and I didn’t stop until I finished the book. My head was spinning and I said to myself wow I have a lot to do. I am fortunate that I work from home and I can be with her 24/7 what ever it takes I will do for my girl.
I looked at her and said……Jasmine let’s fight this monster……. she looked at me and wagged her tail like she wanted to tell me that’s not the first time mom let’s do it.
The first thing I changed was her diet. Thank you Dr. Dressler.
I ordered Apocaps and a lot of supplements you have suggested in your guide. I also put her on a natural pain management. Jasmine was in a lot of pain because of the biopsy and injury of course and maybe because of the cancer as well……she had a lot of fluids where the biopsy was performed. She wasn’t using her leg at all. I took her to my vet to make sure that it wasn’t the cancer already growing rapidly. She said no but she has a lot of fluids around the wound….. my vet wanted to drain the fluids to release the pain but I decided not to do it. No more needles no more vets. I had a hard time getting Jasmine through the vet’s door after the biopsy. She refused and it took us over an hour to get her in for the second x-rays.
I am a form believer that we all can heal our bodies if we support him with the right supplements.
First I had to take care of the fluids. Every 5 hours she got a bandage around her leg with Morinda Tahitian Noni Juice.The fluid in her leg was gone in two days. I also gave her 2 ounce a day orally.
The second x-rays were taken on June 8 ( two month later) and my vet said. What ever you are doing keep doing it, her body is fighting the cancer. Her lungs are still clear. as well.
My best friend is a Oncologist for human she gave me a lot of advice as well…. she only believes in natural remedies like I do. She told me of some other products she gives to her patients with amazing results………… I started Jasmine on these supplements and I believe the combination she is on right now that we beat the cancer. My friend looked at her second x-rays and said that the bone is healing already and she is in remission.
Jasmine went from not using her leg, to a severe limp to a light limp and now for six weeks no more limping at all. I still don’t allow her to play with my other Mastiffs even though in her mind she is ready to play again. She does go on very long walks every day.
Today after 4 month she is doing wonderful no swelling no limping and as healthy as she can be. She never looked as good.
Next x-ray will be taken in September five month after diagnosis.I have to use a different vet because next time she is not going through my vet’s door without tranquilizer. I hope and pray by than that the cancer is all gone.
The supplements she is on right now are not cheap but much cheaper than amputation and chemo that’s for sure.
If I had followed the vet’s advice the insurance would have paid for all of this…….I didn’t so I have to pay for the supplements because insurance do not pay for supplements or vitamins….. but she is worth every penny.
Thank you so much it felt like you were with us 24/7….. without your guide, I believe Jasmine’s outcome so far would be different.
I will post an update as soon as I get the third x-ray done.
God bless
Ruth and Jasmine
4-weeks ago, bull halsey, jumped out of our jeep and fell. a first. he is a 120 lb. lab mix that i have had since he was a 4-wk old rescue. he is now 9 years old. we thought he had a sprain and took him to his vet for an x-ray. it was not a sprain – osteosarcoma on his front right foreleg. we are obviously, devistated. we lost our 13 yr lab, covey isle last year.
our vet gave him 3wks to 6 mths. we are now carefully monitoring his movement, treating him with previcox, gabapentin and tremedol. he is hanging in there, but bored out of his mind.
Any ideas of how to keep his spirits up? We are with him 24/7 – work at home. we keep constant watch – but, want him to have some fun. (we have a 2yr kitten and a 7yr shitzu thing!)
Any ideas for my bell boy? thks! rand
Last Mon. noticed a half ping-pong ball sized knot on front lower leg of 8 yr. old St. Bernard. She started limping. Thought it might me a bite of some kind. Took her to vet only to find out ( after having 5 previous Saints) that bone cancer is common in this breed. She did blood test to rule out fungal infection. Got results today that it is cancer. I take “Bonnie” in tomorrow for chest X-ray. If clear of signs of cancer, the vet will amputate. If the chest is not clear we won’t amputate and bring her home to let her life out the rest of her precious. As all of you well know, it’s hard. It is far better to have had the love this gentle giant has given our family than not to have had to experience this pain we are going through now.
If you follow the below link, you will get to the posting of My Dog Jakes ending which involved leg aputation. It is worth a read. I have two dogs that were victom to osteosarcoma – something I wish I had never had to learn about.
http://www.natural-dog-health-remedies.com/jakee-boy-has-gone.html
My beautiful Dane was just diagnosed yesterday. She’s only 5. Our first Dane had osteosarcoma, too. She was 7. We are devastated. Shelby Comin’ Around the Mountain is the best dog ever with the best quirks. Because it appears the cancer has spread, amputation does not seem like a viable option. She’s on strong pain meds and not herself. 🙁 Our hearts are so broken. My heart goes out to all of you here. Not only are we devastated with human cancer but our beloved pets having cancer, too, offers quite the blow, as well.
I have a 4-year old rottweiler called Buster and have recently been told he has osteosarcoma on his front left wrist.
I have taken him to a specialist who is seen as one of the top vets in cutting edge procedures in the country (Dr. Noel Fitzpatrick) and according to his MRI scan there are no visible signs of spread to his organs….although I do know that in 90% of cases the cancer had spread on a cellular level which is undetectable.
Anyway, for me 10% chance is better than no chance at all, and because he is a big dog and would struggle to live on three legs, I have decided to go with a limb sparing procedure with chemotherapy. They will take a part of his leg, and replace with a titanium rod. I have been told he will be able to walk fairly normally, and should’nt be in any pain, although it’s never going to be the same as it was before.
This was such a hard decision for me, and the cost is enormous as I don’t have any pet insurance. Have been told it’s going to cost me somewhere in the region of £6000-£8000 which for me really is a huge amount of money……but if it means I can have at least one more year with him, and he’s relatively pain-free, then it will be worth it.
I love him to bits, and my heart goes out to any other pet owner who has a pet suffering from this cruel disease.
Dear Jeff,
thinking of you in this difficult time.
Best,
dr D
I have an 8 year old large breed (greater swiss mtn dog) that was diagnosed with osteosarcoma last month. The tumor on his front left leg has been grown aggressively week after week. It is now the size of a grapefruit and it has become so painful to watch him walk. The tumor has turned very purple and it almost seems like it will burst. When do you know it’s time? He still has spirit and is still himself despite this terrible tumor on his leg. I am just heartbroken over it all. I feel helpless in making a decision.
Dear Nicole,
here is a post that I think will help you:
https://www.dogcancerblog.com/blog/i-can-see-the-end-but-i-am-not-ready/
Also there is a lot on life quality analysis in the Guide.
So sorry to hear this tough news. Thinking of you in this hard time,
Dr D
Our dog, Max , was diagnosed with bone cancer today. He has been such a loyal dog, and so intelligent. He is a dobie mix. All I can say is my heart is broken and I don’t want to let him go, but I know I have to. I couldn’t live with myself if this gets into his lungs. I am so sad I could die.
we went for a second opinion on 3/22 and it was the same. we dont want to put him through the amputation process to have him live less than a year. if i could i would put my self in debt for the rest of my life to help him but its not fair to him. this is bar none the saddest thing i have ever seen in my life and i wish no one will ever have to go through it. im going to wait until he lets me know its time. until then he is going to be loved and spoiled rotten. i love you harley and i dont want you to go.
Dear Dave,
sending you my best thoughts in this sad time. Thinking of you.
Dr D
Dr. D
I have a Rottie puppy who is just over a year old. Recently I saw him slightly limping but as crazy and energetic as he is I thought it was a mild sprain. Then the limping started to get worse and it was hard to tell if it was his back left or right leg. Then he started to look like both legs were bothering him. I schedueled a doctors appointment once it started getting worse and he is in for testing now as I am writing you. As i got to the vet he then was holding his front right paw up like that leg was bothering him now as well. The limping is spreading through all of his legs and this has only been going on a week. Please tell me what you think it could be. I am so upset and terrified because he is my best friend and he is such a young energetic and playful puppy I never would think he would be unhealthy. Please tell me what your thoughts are! Thanks so much
i have a 2 year old male black lab that started with a bad limp in his front leg so i took him to the vet and they gave me some pain pills and something else for his leg. after that was done there was no differance so they did some x rays. they said they didnt see anything and gave me the same pills. after that there was still no change so we brought him to a specialist and they said he has bone cancer. this is on moday 3/21 and they said they can take the leg and maybe get six months out of him or put him down. tonight we are going for a second opinion and i hope it is better. i feel so bad for him but besides the bad limp you wouldnt know the differance he is eating good still is happy to see me and doesnt seem to be in any pain. i feel so bad for anyone having to go through this. i just pray that everything will be ok
Hello to all,
My mother passed this site on to me and all I would like to do is comment on our experience with bone cancer. October 14, 2010, Bella was diagnosed with bone cancer in the left rear leg. At that time lungs were clear. We removed the leg. Our loved ones have a tremendous amount of spirit. You would never have known Bella was only on three legs. She could outrun the other two dogs we had on those three legs. Four months ago she started limping, my worse fear was the cancer had returned to the other leg. Initial diagnosis was not cancer but severe arthritis. So I treated with supplements. But what the foot started to do was swell, so back I went. Our vet took another x-ray of it and said I am not familiar with this sort of thing but it looks like cancer to me. She advised us to go to our teaching college. We did and there we viewed cancer of the back leg, front legs as well as three large tumors in the lungs. Yes, when the first leg was removed the cancer had already gone to the lungs but was so microscopic it didn’t appear on the x-rays. Our course of treatment was pimadirate..which in my heart I believe did nothing and 50mg of Trammadol every 8 hours. She is a 6 year old Lab and her rear leg has filled with fluid and is about five times bigger than her front legs. It’s like a water balloon and if only we could empty it. She can still void, but we have to carry her outside where she hobbles, does her business and we carry her back in unless the sun is shining and warm then she likes to lay out there for a while. She eats like a horse. But all she can do is lay and watch. This may sound terrible to some. But I feel God gives us life and God takes life from us. If Bella was a human and I put her down I would be a criminal, sent to jail for life. I do not condemn anyone if they choose that path for their animal…it is all our own personal decision. I don’t enjoy watching her suffer, I watched my 9 year old Golden die with lymphoma this past June. What I will say is this…do not hesitate to make a dog a three legged animal. It does not phase them. Yes, you will be shocked and scared…feeling like you are destroying their spirit…but you aren’t. They adapt so well. I am glad we chose to have the leg removed. It gave us one additional year of being with her. But now it’s time for her to move on and there is nothing to help her other than pain medicine. She beat the odds. Lived one year after removal of the leg with no chemo. Sometimes we need to realize that quality of life to a dog is just being next to us. Best of luck to you all and the decisions you are going to have to make in the future.
God Bless you and your loved ones.
RJ
Last night I found a large lump on my dog’s left front leg, up near his chest. I called my vet right away and went in today. My doggie is having surgery tomorrow to get the tumor removed and sent out for biopsy. I’m so hopeful it’ll be benign but the vet told me to prepare for the worst, being leg amputation or chemo, depending on the labs. I have a mixed breed, terrier and maybe basset (who knows!), he’s only 6 and is in perfect health otherwise. He has skin allergies so I bathe him once or twice a week and his fur gets so long that I’m constantly cutting it, so it seems this tumor just appeared overnight. I’m so worried as he’s my best friend. I’d love to know what you think – are there some other questions I should ask when I get the diagnosis? Is there something else I can do to help him? I’d hate to resort to amputation but I’ll do whatever he needs as long as he’s happy and not in too much pain. Thanks for the advice.
My heart goes out to everyone who has dealt with canine cancer. My 11 year old yellow lab was diagnosed 4 weeks ago with osteosarcoma, but the symptoms of lameness have come and gone since aprox. October 2010. I have also decided not to treat and opted for comfort care only. I have moments when I am not sure of the decision not to amputate or have chemo, but I know deep inside that the prognosis isn’t good anyway even with treatment so I don’t want part of our last moments together to be about him recovering from an amputation. As all of you here have stated, I will miss him, but right now for me (and for all of us I am sure), it’s about making the most of the time we have left with our canine companions. I wish you all the best. I know it’s a difficult time right now.
My Max is a 10 yr old boxer with a cantelope size tumor on his hind leg. It is now open and bleeding more each day. He is happy, gets around ok, sleeps alot, he is pretty much his normal self. He is very proud so he quickly begins to clean where his boo boo has dripped, i have it covered now to keep it from bleeding all over and he seems to be having just some discomfort. He isnt able to reach it so I cant tell if it hurts or itches because he really has never shown pain even when he was injured in the past. I wish I knew what to do with the open lesion that is just getting larger, about size of half dollar now. Just keeping neosporine cream w pain relief and a bandage on it. He shows little sign of pain when i put peroxide on it. He has been taking tylenol in the morning and one at night for I fear he may hurt and I dont know it. Amputation at his age is not a great outcome, bless his heart. When is it time? How do I know if he is hurting since he has always been so proud and loyal? Im not sure Max will ever let me know, If i could relive this tumor growth all over again, there is nothing i would do different, i couldnt even love him anymore than i do.
thankyou for your book which i am getting through now & will show my vet.
i have a 10.5 yr old golden who has osteosarcoma in front left ‘wrist’. i have her on tramadol, homeopathic drops, mushroom extract, half adult doses daily of fish oil, shark cartilage, multivitamins, digestive enzymes, do you recommmend apocaps as well as all that?
i heard honey & cinnamon will also help, but you say cancer feeds on sugar, so does this mean honey is contraindicated?
i dont really want to amputate, is there a way of helping her to learn to hop without the surgery?
Dear Sadhana,
It might be prudent to consider the supplements in the Guide under the “big gun” section. I would consider Apocaps and artemisinin as some useful steps (under veterinary supervision), along with the diet. I would not do cinnamon and honey.
Best,
Dr D
IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR ANYONE WHO’S DOG HAS BONE CANCER!
My Belgium Shephard was diagnosed in January of ’11. She had a slight limp and a small lump on her front wrist area. FAST FORWARD to 5/27/11 I rushed her to the vet, she was bleeding profusely from her now 10-20 lbs cancerous tumor which had an open wound, and we couldnt get to stop bleeding. I was told to put her down. I am spending this last weekend to say goodbye and feed her all her favorite treats. I had seen a specialist and was given my option to amputate, which I declined. BIGGEST MISTAKE EVER! Amputation is nothing but pain management, there is NO CURE for Bone cancer. But given what I know now…It is 100% worth it. There is nothing but positives from the decision to amputate. The decision to NOT amputate is a DEATH sentence. You will suffer, the dog will suffer. Her tumor grew at such a rapid rate, and they open up and bleed. I have watched my dog lose weight, I watched a small lump grow into a HUGE tumor that renders the leg useless and she can do nothing but drag it behind her, and its so heavy and uncomfortable she barely moves, I had to change bandages constantly and watch her bleed, so much it looked like I killed someone, She had to wear a cone to keep her from licking and chewing the tumor. WHICH THEY WILL!!! My advise for anyone who is faced with this decision…ALWAYS AMPUTATE! They can live a normal life after. My dog hasnt been the same since, and I have nothing but regret. Dont make the same mistake I did!!