How to keep my very sick dog comfortable and peaceful at end of life?

The first question to be addressed is whether or not Zara is physically strong enough to withstand the surgery. She will need a full physical exam with blood work to determine this. Second, the type of tumor and its staging needs to be addressed. Are these masses localized, or have they spread to lymph nodes, lungs, brain, etc? Finally, what aftercare would Zara need? How debilitated would the procedure leave her? The ultimate question for you to consider is length of life vs quality of life. At her age, it may be best to let her live out the rest of her life in relative comfort, rather than in a lengthy--and possibly painful--recovery.

I'm sorry Kenya has cancer! I work for a home euthanasia service, so I face this question from my clients frequently. I recommend looking at her quality of life. Make a list of five things she loves to do, and when she is no longer doing at least two of them, then her quality of life has declined to the point where euthanasia should be considered. Best of luck, I hope this helps.

I'm sorry Jessy isn't doing well! Whenever the question comes up about putting a dog to sleep, I ask the owners to look a the dog's quality of life. Make a list of five things the dog used to like to do, and when they cannot do at least two of them, their quality of life has declined to a point where euthanizing them is recommended and is the best option. If she is coughing all night, incontinent, and sleeps all day, I would say that her quality of life isn't the best. Dogs can be stoic, and are often sicker than they let on. I think it's time to have a serious talk with your sister about Jessy. You don't want her to deteriorate to a point where she is extremely sick, that would be cruel to her and very hard for you to see. I hope this helps.

If Taxx is refusing to eat, that could definitely be a sign of pain and discomfort. Unless you are planning on force-feeding him and syringing him water, he will absolutely continue to waste away. In terms of keeping him comfortable, I would just be sure that if he is wobbly and trying to walk, be there to support his weight in case he is falls. There are medications available to stimulate the appetite, and other meds potentially to make him less nauseous if he is experiencing any. I would take him in for an exam first to see what your veterinarian has to say, Unfortunately, this sounds to me like a situation or illness, that is advanced. If your vet concurs that he isn't eating due to discomfort, you may be faced with the choice that no pet owner ever wants to consider. There are pain medications but I don't usually recommend them in a situation like this. I try to ask people to consider if their dog still is able to do some / any of the activities he once enjoyed. If the answer is no, then this an indication there is a total absence of quality of life. Anyway, ultimately my advise is to have him looked at to see if your vet considers some of the types of meds I mentioned as viable options. Hope this all makes sense.

You can speak to the vet about prescribing pain medication for Sadie to see if that will help her be more comfortable, but if she is really bad off like you describe, letting her go peacefully would be the kindest option for her. I know you aren't ready, we are never ready to let our beloved pets go, but we do have to put their interests over ours. You don't want her to suffer, and letting her go would be a great gift for her. I'm sorry you are facing this :(

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I am sorry to hear about Tilly. If her abdomen is filled with fluid, unfortunately aside from draining the fluid out (which has a lot of side effects as well, and is a very very temporary fix), there isn't much you can do. At this stage you have to assess if she is hurting, and if it would be more kind to her to euthanize, so that she doesn't have to go through the pain. Signs that it is time include not wanting to eat, not drinking, not getting up and moving around, not wanting to go on walks, not wanting her favourite toy, not responding to things that normally made her exicted. Signs of pain include tremors/shaking, tensing when you touch her belly, panting, increased breathing rate, increased heart rate, not eating, not moving, not acting herself. If you are seeing signs of pain, or discomfort, or signs that she isn't acting herself, then her quality of life is poor, and helping her out of discomfort with euthanasia needs to be considered. It is a very difficult decision to make, but just keep in mind that although it is difficult for us, removing the pain is one of the greatest gifts we can give to our furry friends, that have given us so much love throughout their lives. I am so sorry that Tilly is so sick.

Hi there! Thanks for letting us take care of you today! Sorry to hear about Sam. I definitely know where you are coming from as I mostly see cancer patients. What I usually tell my clients is that the time to consider humane euthanasia is when they stop being themselves. For example, when they stop doing 3 out of their 5 favorite things (eating, playing, or whatever these are), it is time to let them go without suffering. Of course this is if not considering treating the cancer. There are always palliative medications you could consider like pain control medications such as Tramadol and NSAIDs to be added to the gabapentin just from a palliative standpoint to try to make Sam feel better in the meantime. Sorry you are going through a rough time.