My pet has cancer causing breathing and eating problems. How to help?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! If she really is doing this poorly, it is very important to have her seen by a veterinarian as soon as possible as I worry she may be unstable. If this is all confirmed to be due to her cancer and you are not proceeding with treatment of the cancer, euthanasia may need to be considered.

I'm so sorry to hear about Cassie. She looks like such a sweetheart. If she is taking prednisolone for cancer, I assume this means that she is at a palliative stage where we are just trying to keep her comfortable. Hacking and wheezing may indicate trouble breathing, which can be a sign of lung metastasis, pneumonia, or even just a cold. I worry that her symptoms of yapping and not eating may be a sign of pain. I would suggest taking her to your vet in the morning, where they may do x-rays or blood work to see what stage of cancer she is in right now. Once the cancer has spread, you may need to have a frank discussion about her quality of life and minimizing her suffering. I hope this helps, and that Cassie gets the help that she needs.

I am so sorry to hear about Blue. Unfortunately, there is not much that we know of besides steroids that can help slow cancer. The use of medicinal mushrooms may be of some benefit and certainly won’t hurt if Blue will take it. You want turkey tail mushroom (trametes versicolor, Yun Zhi are other names). There is some evidence that they have anti cancer effects and there have been studies done specifically on lung cancer. Dosing is not established in pets to my knowledge so ask a knowledgeable holistic vet or start with 1/10 the human dose. Best wishes to you and Blue!

Unfortunately surgery is not an option in this case, Prednisolone (a steroid) often can help reducing the swelling temporarily, if he is already on this medication (not chemo) and it does not have any effect, you should consider euthanasia.

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I'm sorry that Bella has this cancer, but glad that she is still eating and happy. Depending on the type of cancer, steroid may or may not help, I would discuss with your vet about a steroid vs. an NSAID. The two cannot be given at the same time so you will have to pick one or the other. Gabapentin is good for pain as well, so continue this and ask your vet if you can increase this dose. CBD oil is controversial for sure, but the biggest issue is that the amount of drug in each 'pill'/'capsule' is highly variable, so sometimes there will be no drug and sometimes far too much. If Bella isn't responding well to it, then I would suggest stopping it. Ulcerated skin will be painful, but gauge her quality of life based on if she is eating, walking, wagging her tail, happy otherwise, you know her best. Best of luck with Bella, I hope she feels happy for a long time!

This is a tough question without knowing what things she is currently having trouble with. You are asking for advice on what we call palliative care, which means we are treating with medications/supplements to help make her comfortable. If she is having trouble eating, then offering soft canned food and pain medication would be the recommendation. If she is having trouble walking, then offering joint supplements and pain medication would be the recommendation. So it really just depends, because you won't be able to confirm if she has osteomyelitis or bone cancer without a bone biopsy here. And these two conditions are treated very differently. However, even with that said, treating Angel with a short course of antibiotics and low dose steroids may be beneficial, especially if she has any decrease in appetite or severe inflammation present. I hope this helps and best of luck moving forward with your pet Angel. Take care.

Hello, I am so sorry to hear this about Niza. Typically, cancer is in its final stages when it has metastasized throughout the lungs. This means that preparations for palliative or end of life care need to be made. Medically, the focus shifts to keeping Niza as happy and comfortable as possible. This may involve pain managing medications or cough suppressants. My own dog has had cancer for a while, and I am experiencing some of the same heartbreak and anticipation grief in my own home. I would recommend consulting with your vet that gave Niza this diagnosis to come up with the best possible plan for her. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. You will be in my thoughts.