Use of the bisphosphonate drug alendronate for palliative management of osteosarcoma in two dogs

The bisphosphonate drug alendronate was used to suppress bone remodelling a nd tumour osteolysis as a palliative treatment for two dogs with osteosarco ma, one of the tibia and one of the maxilla. A spiral fracture associated w ith the tibial tumour healed after it was stabilised with an external skele tal fixator. Both dogs remained comfortable and survived for 12 and 10 mont hs respectively after diagnosis, despite the fact that neither primary tumo ur was resected.