The first thing to understand about osteosarcoma and your dog is that you are not alone. In over 30 years of veterinary practice, I have helped many families through osteosarcoma, and I can help you too. Lets's start with a WORKSHEET ON OSTEOSARCOMA to serve as a guide for you. 

Osteosarcoma is, frustratingly, a very common form of cancer in large and giant breed dogs... and it is pretty common in humans as well. The first sign you will usually see is simply a limp, and only with careful examination and x-rays can your vet make the diagnosis. By the time that tumor is found, in almost all cases the tumor cells will have spread into the lungs. Those cells that have spread to the lungs may not be obvious... yet... but they are usually there.

The traditional approach to osteosarcoma has been amputation of the affected leg, followed by injectable chemotherapy for 3-4 months. The chemotherapy is often combined with injectable bisphonate (think Boniva for dogs) to help keep the bone as strong as possible. Pain relief is also VERY IMPORTANT for your pet, and COX-2 inhibiting NSAIDs like Deramaxx have been shown to interfere with tumor blood supply and thus slow tumor spread.

My personal bias? Glad you asked. AGAINST amputation, to be clear. So many of my patients have severe arthritis or spinal issues, and removal of one of their limbs is the LAST thing they need. I would absolutely consider it if it were CURATIVE... but it almost always is not. It buys you a few months, which are generally spent recovering from the surgery. I'll pass, if it's my dog.

One approach that I would ABSOLUTELY consider is advanced radiation therapy of the tumor, such as offered by PetCure. This ain't cheap, but has offered very good survival times without the loss of a limb. 

Many of you know that I am passionate about the use of the longevity drug RAPAMYCIN. There was a lot of early buzz about the use of Rapamycin for osteosarcoma, but one metastudy did not find any benefit to its use. I would personally still use it, because the combination of anti-inflammatory and broad anti-cancer properties is a pretty good argument... but that's a decision for you to make.

Our Osteosarcoma Supplement Bundle is designed to do only one thing -- make your life simpler. Well, and a little cheaper. You have enough on your plate right now, so this is where you can buy everything you need at once. Our Osteosarcoma supplement pack contains three supplements, each proven to fight osteosarcoma both in clinical and scientific studies:

• LONGEVITY PLUS, which contains patented CurcuWin Ultra Plus. Curcumin has been proven in over 4000 studies to be the most potent natural anti-inflammatory and cancer fighter available, and our Longevity Plus has over 100 x the bioavailability of standard curcumin. Longevity Plus also contains Ashwagandha and Boswellia, both proven to fight cancer and reduce stress/pain.
• DECAF GREEN TEA CAPS contain EGCG, a potent cancer killer that has documented benefits against osteosarcoma cells. 
• REISHI MUSHROOMS, another natural supplement documented to kill osteosarcoma cells. 

You won't find a better supplement for osteosarcoma anywhere.  

One thing to remember -- your dog does NOT know they are sick, just that their leg hurts. Your goal is not to tell them, either by voice or action. Stay happy when you are around them, and keep to their normal routine. They will thank you for it. 

And finally, if you have questions please ask. We're all in this together, and I am happy to help you where I can. All the best to you and your dog, Dr. Kevin