When to say goodbye to a 20-year-old cat with oral cancer spread?

Oh poor Sonny! It is always so hard to say goodbye to a pet, as they are often ready to get before we are ready to let them go. I work for a home euthanasia company, so I face this issue frequently with my clients. I have my clients look at their animal's quality of life in order to make a decision. If their quality of life has declined, then it is time to say goodbye. In an animal that has a terminal illness, I tell my clients it's better to let them go peacefully and without pain before they get to a point where they are really quite ill, such as unable to eat completely or not wanting to move at all. My suggestion would be to take a good look at Sonny's quality of life, and if you feel it has declined, then I would consider letting him go peacefully. I'd be glad to consult with you further about this, if you'd like. Just click "consult online" under my answer. Again, I'm sorry.

Aw I'm sorry to hear about Orio's issue! If the lesion in the mouth is related to cancer then putting Orio to sleep may be the best option. Oral cancer in cats can progress quickly and lead to chronic pain. If cancer is suspected you could seek a consultation with a veterinary oncologist to see if there are any treatments that may help Orio. If the bleeding is due to dental infection then it can probably be fixed with dental surgery. If you can post a picture or more information about the case the we may be able to help you further. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I hope A solution can be found for Orio that will reduce his pain.

That is a very tough question to answer without actually seeing her. However, I would wonder if she is healthy enough for anesthesia? If so considering pulling all of her infected teeth may make her a lot more comfortable. If she is painful, and nothing can be done to improve her quality of life, then that is usually when I start to consider euthanasia. I hope this helps guide you, but it is never an easy decision. Take care.

Hi there, Weight loss, hair pulling, and teeth grinding are all signs of serious disease and/or pain. I would be suspicious of something metabolic (like hyperthyroid disease) or cancerous with the weight loss and continued eating. I would expect this to continue to worsen without treatment and it already sounds like his quality of life is already in decline. Euthanasia would be a very kind option to prevent suffering. This website is helpful to many people making this decision: https://journeyspet.com/pet-quality-of-life-scale-calculator/ I'm so sorry you're making this decision right now. My thoughts will be with you and Hodges.

I'm sorry that you and Bugger have been through so much together during his skin cancer management. Deciding when to euthanize a beloved pet is never easy and there often isn't a clear cut, black and white answer. Instead, we're left with a lot of maybes, what ifs, and gray areas. I think it's important to consider Bugger's overall quality of life. Namely, can he still do most of the things that he always used to enjoy? That may have meant chasing a bell ball or laser pointer, jumping onto a sunny perch, or following you around the house. If he's struggling to do many of his favorite things, that's a good indication that his quality of life isn't what it used to be. Eating and drinking are all well and good, but that doesn't always tell the whole picture. Based on your description, I simply don't have enough information in order to guide you one way or the other. Instead, I think it's important for you to try to take a step back and objectively assess Bugger. OSU has a quality of life guide that I think is really helpful in making these objective and less emotional assessments. Ultimately, when we make the decision to euthanize a pet, we do it as a kindness to them to ease their suffering, even though it can be gut-wrenching for us. I'm wishing you and Bugger all the best through this challenging time. https://vet.osu.edu/vmc/sites/default/files/import/assets/pdf/hospital/companionAnimals/HonoringtheBond/HowDoIKnowWhen.pdf https://www.petcoach.co/article/the-decision-of-euthanizing-your-pet/

First off, I'm very sorry Iggy has lung cancer! If he's stopped eating, unfortunately it may be time to let him go. It's actually very serious when a cat stops eating because they will develop a fatty liver after 72 hours of not eating. A fatty liver is fatal without treatment. It's not fair for him to starve to death either. You need to look at his quality of life, and ask yourself if he's having a good quality of life when he's not eating. I think you know the answer, but it is the hardest decision to make. Should you let him, know you are giving him one last, great gift: You will be letting him go peacefully without any further pain. I hope this helps.

I am so sorry about Shadow and the diagnosis of oral SCC, unfortunately the prognosis for cats with oral SCC is poor and most cats will have survival times ranging from 3-6 months. Cats with small tumors located on the lower jaw (mandible) that are treated with surgery have a better chance of surviving for one year.