This survey is for owners who have had an Irish Wolfhound with osteosarcoma and who have chosen treatment rather than immediate euthanasia. We are attempting to establish what treatment owners have experienced or had recommended to them. From this we hope to determine the optimal treatment for osteosarcoma in Irish Wolfhounds. By optimal we mean that which gives the dog the best quality of life for as long as possible. As advice on treatment varies, finding the best one for your dog can be confusing when faced with the news that your dog has osteosarcoma.

 
We need to do this, as whilst we are investigating the genetics of this condition we need to understand what owner’s perceptions are towards the current treatment of this disease. At present there is very little reported about the optimal treatment for IWH and we are keen that we can begin to answer this question in parallel with any developments regarding the genetics of the condition.

We would therefore appreciate your continued support with our breed health programme by consenting to be involved on the basis of this being an anonymised study where the details of participants (both dog and owners) will not be revealed. Only the researchers at the University of Nottingham will know those people taking part. It is hoped that by maintaining a strictly anonymous project we will encourage all owners and breeders to get involved. Participation in this research is entirely voluntary and there is no obligation to take part. Your details and the information you provide will be anonymised. This study has been approved by the School of Veterinary Medicine and Science’s ethics committee and by the breed group health committee. Information collected will be used for research and for the benefit of the breed via updates and social media. We would therefore appreciate your continued support with our breed health programme by consenting to be involved on this basis.

For any questions about this survey please contact Dr Mark Dunning sv-dogs@nottingham.ac.uk

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* 1. This question is with regard to consent to use the information contained in this study anonymously for research purposes (please select all consent boxes)

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* 2. Please provide us with your details (these are confidential, only known to the research team and never shared)

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* 3. Address

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* 4. Details of your dog

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* 5. Gender

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* 6. Is your dog neutered

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* 7. At what age was your dog neutered 

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* 8. At what age did your dog develop it's osteosarcoma

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* 9. Where was the tumour?

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* 10. How long was it between the onset of the clinical signs and the diagnosis of the tumour?

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* 11. How was the tumour diagnosed (e.g. X rays, CT scan, biopsies - please give details)

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* 12. What advice were you given by your vet regarding treatment of the condition?

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* 13. How long after the diagnosis was treatment introduced?

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* 14. If the tumour was in a limb, was this a fore- or hind leg?

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* 15. Did this affect the decision on which treatment option to choose? Please answer with yes or no and how which limb was affected changed your decision

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* 16. If in a limb, was this subsequently amputated? If not what treatment opttion did you select? for example: Palliative (tumour left in place), removal of the tumour or limb sparing surgery.

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* 17. If you opted for limb sparing surgery instead of amputation, please give reasons behind your decision

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* 18. If you opted for limb sparing surgery please give details of the veterinary practice where the procedure was carried out.

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* 19. If you selected limb sparing surgery do you know which implant method was used? For example metal implant or a bony scaffold.

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* 20. If your dog had it's affected limb amputated how was this tolerated?

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* 21. If you selected to have the affected limb spared, how well did your dog tolerate this?

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* 22. Did your dog experience any post-operative complication following their treatment? For example: infection, fracture of the site (post limb sparing surgery), excessive pain

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* 23. Did your dog have chemotherapy?

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* 24. If so, please give as many details as you can about the drug used and the number of treatments received

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* 25. Please give details of whether the chemotherapy was well or poorly tolerated

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* 26. Based on your experience, woudl you recomment limb sparing surgery as a treatment for this type of tumour to another Irish Wolfhound/ dog owner and why?

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* 27. Based on your experience, would you recommend amputation as a treatment for this tumour to another Irish Wolfhound/dog owner and why?

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* 28. Based on your experience, would you recommend chemotherapy as a treatment for this tumour to another Irish Wolfhound/dog owner and why?

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* 29. Would you have this treatment again for another of your dogs?

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* 30. If amputation was not performed and the tumour was on a limb or if the tumour was not on a limb, did your dog have radiotherapy?

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* 31. Did this help with pain control?

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* 32. Do you think your dog tolerated this well or not

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* 33. Based on your experience would you recommend radiotherapy as a treatment for this tumour to another Irish Wolfhound owner and why?

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* 34. Did your dog receive bisphosphonates (along with it’s other treatments)?

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* 35. Did your dog tolerate the bisphosphonate therapy well (please give details)?

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* 36. Was additional medication provided to control the pain?

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* 37. Was any complementary therapy used (herbal, homoeopathy etc)?

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* 38. How long after conventional treatment was introduced did you introduce complementary therapy?

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* 39. Did you notice any complications or changes in your dogs condition following the introduction of the complementary therapies?

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* 40. How long did your dog live after diagnosis?

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* 41. If your dog is still alive, how long ago was treatment started?

Many thanks for taking the time to complete this survey, it is very much appreciated.
The results of this survey will help understand owners views on treatment for this unpleasant disease and help us determine the most appropriate ways to undertake research into this condition.

if you have any questions or queries regarding this survey please feel free to email the Nottingham breeder research team on: crt@nottingham.ac.uk

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* 42. This question is with regard to consent to use the information contained in this study anonymously for research purposes (please select all consent boxes)