Long-term survival in a dog with unresectable appendicular osteosarcoma treated with zoledronic acid plus carboplatin as palliative care

Abstract

Osteosarcoma (OSA) is the most common bone tumor in dogs. It is highly aggressive, and most patients die due to metastasis, especially to the lungs. This report showed the palliative care of an unresectable appendicular OSA in a 10-year-old neutered male Labrador Retriever dog.  Amputation of the affected limb was not indicated due to obesity and bilateral hip dysplasia. For this reason, palliative care with carboplatin and zoledronic acid was proposed. The treatment was well tolerated and the owner reported improvement in the lameness and pain, resulting in a good quality of life. A survival time of 30 months (910 days) was observed. Treatment with zoledronic acid and carboplatin may be considered in cases of unresectable appendicular OSA because this treatment was safe and well tolerated.