Osteosarcoma in Irish Wolfhound

[Houndhill]

My beloved Irish Wolfhound Tori, who will be seven in October, was just diagnosed by x-ray with osteosarcoma in her carpus. Amputation is not an option, she has bilateral elbow dysplasia for which she has had surgery and PRP and has arthritis in her elbows. I had thought it was worsening osteoarthritis in her elbows, in fact we had just had one cold laser treatment Monday and had another one scheduled Friday, but I found the growth Thursday night and she was x-rayed Friday and diagnosed.

She is on Fosamax (for pain and to strengthen the surrounding bone), Galliprant, gabapentin, and Tramadol, but is still limping slightly, though she is eating and in good spirits, throwing toys around, etc., cheerful though sleeps more due to the meds.

We have an appointment next week with an oncologist to discuss palliative radiation for pain control. They have a linear accelerator and can do the stereotactic “knife” or whatever they call it, very focused radiation.

I had another IW with bone cancer undergo the “old type” palliative radiation about 15 years ago. It worked well for pain control although she lived only a few months.

My question is, has anyone done palliative radiation recently, especially this intense kind, and what kind of results did you get?

This is the part of having Irish Wolfhounds that really, really sucks. Tori’s dam and litter sister both won our National Specialty, but Tori could not be shown in conformation because of her elbows, so I trained and competed in Obedience with her. She won two High in Trials in Novice (at IW Specialties I hasten to add!) and I also did tracking with her. So, we have worked closely together and she has been such a wonderful partner. It is so hard to see her in even a little pain.

I forgot to say, she is also on Dasuquin with MSN, Phycoxx, Adequan injections, and CBD oil for her elbows.

[StGermain]

I’m so sorry to hear the news. Good luck with your treatment.

StG

[Flurry84]

So very sorry to hear about Tori. I love Irish Wolfhounds and remember your sharing the info about your Natl. Specialties with us here. Don’t have any info to share about the treatments you are considering for her since my one experience with this was an elderly Golden I took in and he made it to 14 with me. This was many years ago.

Take good care and I really hope you obtain great results with the radiation procedure and the meds Tori is on. Bless You Both.

[hoopoe]

did they screen her lungs? since you have been through this before, you know lung metastasis are common.

Personally if they were present I would not put my dog through the palliative radiation. Your dog, however sounds like she is use vet visits

this is such a downside for the giant breeds. I have met few IW but they were always kind and noble dogs

[Houndhill]

@hoopoe

did they screen her lungs? since you have been through this before, you know lung metastasis are common.

Personally if they were present I would not put my dog through the palliative radiation. Your dog, however sounds like she is use vet visits

this is such a downside for the giant breeds. I have met few IW but they were always kind and noble dogs

Thank you, yes they are remarkable creatures, so intuitive and devoted. Tori is great being anywhere as long as she is with me. I know I am going to have to leave her for the radiation, she will not like that but I know they will be kind to her and she will deal with it. I think it’s two treatments a day for two days, and they can come home with you at night.

One of of us will have separation anxiety but it’s not Tori.

I usually don’t even bother X-raying the lungs, I just assume it has metzed to the lungs by the time we find the primary tumor. We aren’t planning to do chemo. I think they will want to do it the chest X-ray and probably a bone aspirate though I don’t think it will change anything.

Usually metzing with bone cancer is the least of our problems. Without amputation, they will usually be euthanized because of the pain from the primary tumor within months. The palliative radiation is just for pain control. It often works great for that and might give us some more pain-free time.

I’m also not nuts about having her undergo general anesthesia four times over two days. She has been anesthetized before and handled it, but the risk is not zero.

[Houndhill]

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[Houndhill]

I couldn’t figure out how to add text to the photo above, taken at an Obedience Trial on the Recall. Tori felt this included a chin rest on my chest, which made everyone laugh and I took the 1/2 point deduction for the “dog touching handler”. Actually in this case is was one point, as her foot is also holding down mine.

[Magicboy]

I am so sorry that you are going through this. One of my dogs just had surgery to remove a cancerous tumor and I am waiting for the biopsy to find out how aggressive the cancer was. I have read a lot about palliative radiation and a friend, who is an oncology specialist, tells me it is excellent and so very targeted in humans. Good luck with all this

[Incantation]

Love the recall pic! Sorry about your girl. We had a male Mastiff that was put down from osteosarcoma years ago. Thankfully, he was the only one so far.

I remember reading a while back about a vaccine trial for osteosarcoma that Tufts was doing. I don’t have any info other than that, and don’t know what stage the cancer has to be in to participate, but maybe worth looking into??

[Houndhill]

@Incantation

Love the recall pic! Sorry about your girl. We had a male Mastiff that was put down from osteosarcoma years ago. Thankfully, he was the only one so far.

I remember reading a while back about a vaccine trial for osteosarcoma that Tufts was doing. I don’t have any info other than that, and don’t know what stage the cancer has to be in to participate, but maybe worth looking into??

Right now I understand they are requiring amputation to use the vaccine, and from my understanding, it helps prevent metastasis more than it deals with the primary tumor.

[Incantation]

Darn, I was hoping it would be more useful for Mastiffs in the future. Many are too heavy to live comfortably as a tripod, esp if the tumor is in a front leg. I am very sorry about your girl.

[Simkie]

Awwwwwww, damn. No input on palliative radiation…just want to say I’m sorry about your girl, Houndhill. That sucks. Big hugs for you both.

[Houndhill]

@Incantation

Darn, I was hoping it would be more useful for Mastiffs in the future. Many are too heavy to live comfortably as a tripod, esp if the tumor is in a front leg. I am very sorry about your girl.

Yes although Tori has the “excuse” of bad elbows, I have not chosen amputation for my guys in the past. Mine tend to be on the larger side for IWs- Tori is a lean 163 pounds and I’ve had males 185-200 pounds.

I always try to explain that they need “At Least” four legs. If I had a fine-boned more deerhoundlike IW, who was young and relatively light, I might consider it, but so far have not felt it would be in their best interests.

Fortunately with dogs, we have an option when the pain becomes too great.

I think eventually they will offer the vaccine for dogs who do not have amputations. Maybe if the radiation or other treatments become more effective for the primary tumor, it will be useful. I think there are some treatments being researched that might become available one day.

[CanadianTrotter]

Best wishes for Tori and all those concerned.

[S1969]

Houndhill, I’m so sorry to hear this. I do not have any experience but sending best wishes. I’m glad you updated about the amputation - my first thought was that an IW is too heavy to have only 3 legs. Lighter dogs can often do really well on 3 but not sure about other breeds. We had friends that had a big Rottweiler male and they did a front leg amputation due to cancer. It was really sad and wasn’t terribly successful…I think they euth’d only a few months later because the dog was really suffering.

Sending big hugs. Hope you get answers to your questions…and LOVE the picture.

[LauraKY]

My lab has osteosarcoma…we did the amputation and chemo but he wasn’t eligible for the vaccine trial. He’s doing extremely well. He goes to the oncology clinic at OSU and Thursdays seem to be tripod days. There were numerous large dog amputees, several Great Danes. Of course, the amputation and chemo really only give the
dog an extra year or so before the cancer eventually metastisizes. He’s doing so much better without the leg than with, seems to be pain-free at the moment.

However, if he had any kind of issue with the other front leg, amputation would have been out of the question and we would have done palliative radiation.

Jingles for Tori from Columbus.

[Houndhill]

@LauraKY

My lab has osteosarcoma…we did the amputation and chemo but he wasn’t eligible for the vaccine trial. He’s doing extremely well. He goes to the oncology clinic at OSU and Thursdays seem to be tripod days. There were numerous large dog amputees, several Great Danes. Of course, the amputation and chemo really only give the
dog an extra year or so before the cancer eventually metastisizes. He’s doing so much better without the leg than with, seems to be pain-free at the moment.

However, if he had any kind of issue with the other front leg, amputation would have been out of the question and we would have done palliative radiation.

Jingles for Tori from Columbus.

So happy for your Lab, glad he is doing so well! OSU rocks!

i just read that Morris Animal Foundation is doing a trial on giving healthy dogs the vaccine to prevent osteosarcoma. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if that worked!

Ayear in the life of any dog is a long time. I hope you and your lab enjoy every minute of whatever time you have together.

[LauraKY]

@Houndhill

So happy for your Lab, glad he is doing so well! OSU rocks!

i just read that Morris Animal Foundation is doing a trial on giving healthy dogs the vaccine to prevent osteosarcoma. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if that worked!

Ayear in the life of any dog is a long time. I hope you and your lab enjoy every minute of whatever time you have together.

Thank you. He’s 10 1/2 so another year is a gift. Jingles for Tori.

[Houndhill]

Update- I decided to go ahead with the palliative radiation.

Turns out they do five consecutive days of radiation, and we have had the first two sessions. They did find a small suspicious node on her left lung, but we decided to go ahead with the palliative radiation anyway. Tori also got IV biophosphenate, zoldendronate I believe, (same class as the oral Fosamax I had been giving her) to strengthen the bone and hopefully prevent fracture, and also helps with the pain. We also added Amantadine to her meds.

So far, this has been harder on both of us, I think, than I anticipated. She has never been ready to go home when they have said, I’ve had to wait several hours there while she wakes up enough to come home. So far she is not in any less pain. She goes back Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, then is done, and they said we should see the pain diminish by the end of the week.

I am still not sure I am doing the right thing for her, but maybe will feel differently when we are finished.

it is so hard to drop her off, I’ve never had to do that before. I bring a battery operated fan for her, she doesn’t tolerate heat well.

Just wanted to give you all an update.

[CVPeg]

So sorry to hear you’re going through this, Houndhill.
My Toula passed from osteo a few years ago. But she was already almost 10, had had her as an “adoptee” since she was 5, and thought we were lucky to have her as long as we did. She so much loved her runs at home, I also didn’t want to amputate, nor do anything additional as it would mean a lot of time away from home, very long round-trip drives each way, and just more stress for her, with an uncertain outcome.
I also previously raised Labs, but stopped my line when elbow dysplasia was apparent.

I know how dedicated you are to the breed, and how entwined they are in your life, and with this girl, you must be doing only the best you can for her.
Nothing new to add, except additional jingles, and hope the two of you have the best success, and many more wonderful days ahead.