Osteosarcoma is the most common form of bone cancer in dogs. The tumors are most often found in the leg bones. Osteosarcoma begins on the outside portion of your dog's bone and works toward the interior hollow portion of the bone that contains the bone marrow. Osteosarcoma is most often found in middle-aged or senior dogs, but it can strike at any age. Osteosarcoma progresses quite quickly and will become painful to your dog in a matter of months. As with all cancers, early detection and treatment can increase the length of survival time.

Symptoms of osteosarcoma are pain, progressive lameness and swelling in the location of the tumors. The tumors are most often found on the leg, generally beneath the elbow or around the knee, although they can develop in other areas such as the spine, ribs or skull.  

It is not known definitively how your dog gets osteosarcoma. However, large breed dogs appear to be overrepresented.

Your vet will perform a physical examination of your dog along with blood work, x-rays and a biopsy. The biopsy is essential for making a definitive diagnosis.

Osteosarcoma is treated by removing the tumors whenever possible. Often, if the cancer is in a leg bone, the impacted limb will have to be amputated. The amputation is done to relieve your dog's pain and to remove the tumor in order to prevent the tumor from spreading cells to the rest of your dog's body. Generally, dogs adapt quite well to having only 3 legs. After the amputation, follow up treatments of chemotherapy are used to enhance survival time. Dogs tend to tolerate chemotherapy quite well, although some dogs do experience loss of appetite, vomiting and diarrhea.

Unfortunately, however, osteosarcoma is very agressive. In fact, more than 90% of dogs with osteosarcoma of the limb will die from the tumor's spreading to other parts of the body, most often the lungs. Without treatment, life expectancy is generally between 2 to 4 months. In cases where a limb is amputated and chemotherapy is used, the average life expectancy is 10 to 12 months. When the tumor is discovered in other parts of the body such as the ribs, spine, or skull prognosis depends upon the location. 

There is no prevention for osteosarcoma.

No, you cannot contract osteosarcoma from your dog.