How To Treat and Prevent Canine Osteosarcoma

There are many different contributors to Canine Bone Cancer, and any other form of cancer. One of the easiest to avoid is a poor diet. Store brand dog foods are actually fairly unhealthy for dogs. They are processed foods which contain additives and colors that can impact your dog's normal healthy function.

Getting your dog plenty of vitamins and nutrients from fresh fruits and raw veggies is a great place to start. Wet dog foods are some of the worst offenders, since their nutrients are all cooked away during manufacturing.

Having a poor environment can also contribute to cancer occurring in your dog. Even the cleanest houses still have microscopic particles such as dust and allergens and even mites floating around in the air.

A dog who is always inside is constantly breathing in these particulates and getting them some fresh air on a regular basis is a great idea. Get your dog outside and get them lots of exercise. The fresh air and physical activity will boost their immune system and help them fight off cancerous cells.

But even healthy dogs can still end up with cancer. If your dog is diagnosed with canine bone cancer, you must treat it. Canine Osteosarcoma is one of the most painful things a dog can endure, visible by the tenderness and swelling of the legs and even lameness. When it does occur in the legs, called appendicular osteosarcoma, there is still a chance that it may metastasize to the rest of the body.

If untreated, the dog's bones will become brittle and break and the cancer may spread to the lungs. But bone tumors cannot just be cut away in many circumstances, so the initial response is amputation. Don't swear off amputation all together, it is not the same in dogs as it is in humans.

The dog can function at almost 100% even with just three legs. In addition, dogs with three legs are not shunned by the pack and are still accepted by other dogs as if nothing were different.

For many dogs, chemotherapy is also a follow up treatment. Again, it is not the same in dogs as it is in humans. The dog may be in recovery for a few days, but they will be much better off after wards and they won't even lose their fur.

Medical procedures can be prohibitively expensive and very hard for a dog to endure, so there are some all-natural methods of prevention to consider first. There is no substitute for a healthy diet, but there are supplements that can make a good diet even better.

Herbs with anti-cancer properties, Echinacea and Astralagus being some of the most popular, have been studied for years. Cat's Paw and Milk Thistle are yet more natural supplements which may help a dog fight off cancer.

While the supplements are a great boost, you must keep your dog on a healthy diet. But these simple natural steps are a great way to give your dog an added bonus when they are already living a healthy life.