Osteosarcoma in a Dachshund: cytological and histopathological aspects

Malignant primary bone neoplasms are characterized by high malignancy and metastatic capacity, commonly affecting dogs of large or giant breeds. The prognosis is reserved to unfavorable for the patients. This paper describes a case of osteosarcoma in the left pelvic limb of a Dachshund, diagnosed by fine-needle aspiration cytology and confirmed by histopathological evaluation. The patient underwent limb amputation and doxorubicin chemotherapy; however, the dog died. This report alerts clinicians to the occurrence of osteosarcoma in small animals and demonstrates the importance of fine-needle aspiration cytology as a tool in the diagnosis of bone neoplasms.