Cancer is a leading cause of death in older dogs, and comprehensive pain management is essential to maintaining quality of life throughout treatment and end-of-life care.
Cancer causes welfare compromise through multiple mechanisms - tumor invasion causing local tissue destruction and pain, systemic effects of the cancer including weight loss and fatigue, and treatment side effects. Bone tumors like osteosarcoma cause excruciating pain from periosteal expansion and pathological fracture risk that requires aggressive multimodal pain management. Unlike human oncology, veterinary chemotherapy protocols are explicitly designed to prioritize quality of life over maximal tumor kill, resulting in fewer side effects. The welfare-centered approach to canine cancer care - controlling pain, supporting nutrition, and making proactive end-of-life decisions - reflects a philosophy that dying well is as important as treatment success. Palliative care expertise is increasingly available through veterinary oncology specialists.