Zoledronic acid for the treatment of appendicular osteosarcoma in a dog

A 10-year-old male intact Corso dog was referred for lameness and for a large neoplasm affecting the right foreleg. Physical examination of the patient revealed a 5 x 5 x 3 cm mass in the distal right foreleg. Histopathology was consistent with a diagnosis of appendicular osteosarcoma. The staging process found no evidence of metastasis. Because of the large size of the patient, the owners elected to treat their dog with antiresorptive therapy. The patient was treated with an infusion of zoledronic acid every 28 days. The tumour remained stable for 16 months and the lameness of the dog greatly improved. At that time, the patient returned for evaluation of a large rapidly growing prescapular mass. Biopsy confirmed lymph node metastasis and the dog was euthanased. Zoledronic acid showed remarkable palliation in our patient and possibly anti-tumour action and warrants further investigation.