How Many Greyhounds Contract Osteosarcoma?

[Guest Bodie]

If you hang around on this site or on Circle of Greys, you get the distorted impression that greyhounds are contracting osteo at an alarming rate. I'm sure that is not true as I know of only 3 greyhounds who have contracted osteo in my greyhound group, out of the hundreds that have been adopted. Also, this site and COG are the first sites people turn to when their hound develops osteo, so, of course, there are going to be a lot of refereneces to it.

 

So.... does anyone have a viable statistic, as in 1 in 20 greyhounds develop osteo, 1 in 200, etc? And, where did you get that statistic?

 

After struggling with Bodie's bills for osteo for the last 4 months, I wonder if I will be able to afford to ever adopt another greyhound, particularly if he/she should develop osteo. I live in fear that Rainy will develop osteo, because I know what it will cost to deal with it. So what are my chances of it happening again if I adopt again?

Edited December 3, 2007 by Bodie

[Guest Stretchy]

I don't have any official numbers either, but I have only heard of a handful of cases within all of the dogs that my group has placed.

[Burpdog]

Greyhounds do have a higher incident of cancer than other breeds from what I understand.

 

Percentage wise, it's probably still low compared with other diseases, etc.

 

My personal belief is that cancer rears it's ugly head more often in greys due to over vaccinating and TBDs

[romansperson]

Well, the OSU site says:

 

"Osteosarcomas (OSAs) are the most common primary bone neoplasm in dogs and the most common tumor in Greyhounds in the United Kingdom, where it accounted for 50% of all tumors, and for 22% of the deaths in the breed (www.gurk.demon.co.uk /ghsurvey). Cancer in general (44%), and OSA in particular (22%) were the leading cause of death in the breed."

 

I'd heard a long time ago that the incidence of osteo in racing greyhounds in the U.S. may be as high as 1 in 5, but I cannot remember where I saw that. It's true for our household anyway - of a total of 5 hounds, we've had two with osteo so far.

 

 

[Guest kathymadej]

If you hang around on this site or on Circle of Greys, you get the distorted impression that greyhounds are contracting osteo at an alarming rate. I'm sure that is not true as I know of only 3 greyhounds who have contracted osteo in my greyhound group, out of the hundreds that have been adopted. Also, this site and COG are the first sites people turn to when their hound develops osteo, so, of course, there are going to be a lot of refereneces to it.

 

So.... does anyone have a viable statistic, as in 1 in 20 greyhounds develop osteo, 1 in 200, etc? And, where did you get that statistic?

 

After struggling with Bodie's bills for osteo for the last 4 months, I wonder if I will be able to afford to ever adopt another greyhound, particularly if he/she should develop osteo. I live in fear that Rainy will develop osteo, because I know what it will cost to deal with it. So what are my chances of it happening again if I adopt again?

 

 

I lost my first greyhound to osteo cancer last January, age 8, and now my second greyhound has just been diagnosed with osteo two days ago. I tell you, I immediately got pet insurance for my other two greys, and if it happens to my other two, I don't know what I will do about adopting more greyhounds. I find cancer so much more devastating. These are my first dogs in my life, so I have yet to have one live to a ripe old age.

Kathy

[Burpdog]

Well, you could adopt seniors.....

 

Mizzy makes #20 for me, 15 at the bridge.

 

Ivey had osteo (11 1/2). Austin had soft tissue osteo (he was 13 went he went). I am pretty sure SieSie had lymphoma (lumps appearing hourly) 13 1/2, Shadow had a lung tumor (14 1/2). I think Solo and Rob Roy had spinal tumors (Solo was I think 13 and Rob Roy just shy of 13), Solomon probably liver cancer (14), Jodie was a diabetic and developed endocarditis (12), Magic was 16 1/2, Trevor LP (12), Eliza rimadyl (9 3/4), Jesse kidney disease (12), Heart old age (14 3/4), Scooby mast cell tumor (11), Slick kidney tumor (14)

 

So, you can see that there is a variety and all except Eliza were older.

 

I have seen some people seem to end up with mulitple greys with the same medical problems. It is their specialty. Hurts sometimes. Not all osteo dogs are candidates for amputation.

 

So, Bodie's mom, in answer to your questions and concerns: nothing is guaranteed. Even age isn't a factor--young doesn't mean they won't have cancer or some other dibilitating disease.

 

I agree that the cost of osteo with amp and chemo is very expensive but so are some other diseases.

 

I think all dogs have an increase in cancer and it is due to over vacinnating and use of pesticides. I think one of the things we can do, is talk about what will make our dogs healthier and preventative medicine.

 

You do what you can do regarding treatment of any disease. Sometimes the choices are hard.

 

I would not stop adopting greys because of the possibility of medical bills. Able to support should be a factor, but not everyone can have $20K in the bank to cover catastrophic bills!

Edited December 7, 2007 by Burpdog

[Greytlady94]

Adopting seniors is a good point. By the time they are 10 or 11 they are probably fairly healthy dogs to have lived that long, but as with people, the longer we live, the more likely we are to die of cancer or some other disease instead of just "old age".