What to Know About Feline Osteosarcoma

Bone diseases affect dogs, cats and humans. Dogs and humans can be more affected by Osteosarcoma than cats are. Cats are more resilient to the effects of Osteosarcoma if you spot it early enough and treat it quickly. Feline Osteosarcoma is a type of cancer which affects the bones of cats. You will find this type of cancer mainly in older cats, although younger cats can be affected as well. If you want to do further study on this type of cancer, you can read further at the Max's House Animal Rescue site which I list in the resources.

What Causes Feline Osteosarcoma?

As with most forms of cancer, there is no known exact cause of Feline Osteosarcoma. A possible cause is thought to be a retrovirus which attacks the bone cells, according to an article by Michael W. King PhD of the IU School of Medicine. The DNA of the cell structure is converted into a cancerous cell which then, as with most types of cancer cells, duplicates itself rapidly and spreads.

Diagnosis

Your veterinarian will do a biopsy and a set of x-rays to find the tumor. If a tumor is found, the vet will do another set of chest x-rays to make sure the Feline Osteosarcoma hasn't spread out from the bone. Once the location of the tumor has been found, a treatment plan can be put together rather quickly. This type of cancer is most often found in cats over ten years of age, and mainly in much older cats.

Prognosis

This is a rapidly spreading cancer. This is due to the cancer's ability to spread through the bloodstream if a cancer cell should split off from the initial infected area. Without treatment your cat may live for only a few months after the initial diagnosis. If treated, your cat can live a good quality life for another two years with many cats living past three years of the original diagnosis.

How Do You Treat Feline Osteosarcoma?

The most common treatment for this type of cancer is amputation of the affected bone followed by chemotherapy. This treatment usually means the loss of a leg. Are there other treatments? Yes, there are holistic treatments such as raw food diets and supplements of Taurine and vitamins A and D. Pain medications such as Benadryl can be used to relieve the joint pain or the nausea from chemotherapy.

Misconceptions

One of the biggest reasons the original diagnosis for Feline Osteosarcoma comes later than it should is that cat owners think the symptoms are related to other health issues. Signs of prolonged limping or trouble walking can be misdiagnosed as arthritis by the cats' owner. If you notice these signs, a visit to the veterinarian is needed as soon as possible.

Sources:
Max's House Animal Rescue (Page 1 and Page 2)
Michael W. King PhD, IU School of Medicine (2009)
Robert McDowell