My dog has advanced cancer. What's best for his quality of life?

First off, I'm so sorry Rocky has cancer! How sad for both him and you. I think you should keep doing what you are doing with him. Unfortunately osteosarcoma has a very poor prognosis, and the life span isn't very long even with chemo. At this point in time, keep feeding him what he will eat, and give him lots of love and attention since he is eating, drinking, and acting normally. You can monitor his quality of life for an idea of when it's time to say goodbye. Make a list of five things he loves to do, and when he's no longer doing at least two of them, then his quality of life has decreased to a point where euthanasia should be considered. This would include eating as well. As I said above, enjoy the time you have left with him, and spoil him. I'm sorry you are in this situation, but I hope my answer has helped you!

I'm very sorry that Pepper has cancer in his spleen. I work for a home euthanasia service, so I face these kind of questions all the time with my clients. In order to make this decision, you need to look at his quality of life. Make a list of five things he loved to do, and if he's no longer doing at least two of them, then his quality of life has declined to a point where euthanasia should be considered. If you'd like to chat about this further, you can request a consult with me for more one on one help. Otherwise, I hope this helps you and I'm sorry you have to face this decision.

I'm so sorry Ghost has cancer and you are going through this, it's very hard! I work for a home euthanasia service, so I face these questions with my clients all the time. I would speak with his vet about pain medication. He can be put onto a pain management protocol that could make him feel better, and increase his quality of life. You can also talk to your vet about the possible use of laxative on him, which may make it easier for him to pass feces. Having these medications on board can help significantly improve him quality of life for a period of time so that you can have more time with him before having to let him go. I would have him seen by a vet today or tomorrow to speak about these issues. When it comes to saying goodbye, I tell my clients to make a list of five things their dogs loves to do. When they aren't doing at least two of them, then their quality of life has declined to a point where euthanasia should be considered. It's very important to take his quality of life into account when making the decision to let a pet go or not. I hope this helps! If you'd like to discuss things further,, I'd be happy to snout with you, just click the "consult online" button under my answer.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I only see cancer patients and as you can imagine, I see terminal cancer patients on almost a daily basis. First of all, sorry to hear about Timmie. Give her lots of love, treats and all the good stuff that she deserves and wants. Usually regardless of the cancer type, I recommend treating any symptoms if they occur. Meaning that if Timmie develops any decreased appetite or nausea or vomiting or diarrhea, these are treated with medications. Otherwise, if you not pursuing cancer therapy, there is really nothing else to do. This decision is hard to make, no question. However, what I tell my clients is to consider making this decision if they think that quality of life has been severely affected. This means when Timmie does not seem to be enjoying herself anymore. You could consider doing it if Timmie stops doing 2 out of her 3 favorite things (that could be eating, playing, running, etc). Best wishes for you and Timmie!

First off, I'm so sorry Jack has cancer! I work for a home euthanasia service, so I face these questions with my clients all the time. I tell them to make a list of five things their dog loves to do. If he isn't doing at least two of them, then their quality of life has declined to a point where euthanasia should be considered. Another factor to consider with Jack is his appetite. If he stops eating all together, he will slowly be starving, and that will be quite painful for him. I wouldn't let him get to that point. Oftentimes, our dogs are ready to go before we are ready to let them go, and they hang on longer for us. Dogs are quite good at hiding their pain, especially if they see their owner is distressed. I would make that list I suggested, keep trying to get him to eat, and have blood tests done to see if he is getting anemic. This may help you decide when it's time to let him go peacefully. I understand it's hard to say goodbye when he's still running and playing, but it may be better to let him go sooner rather than later as he will leave you happy and in a good place, rather than extremely ill and weak if that makes sense. Only you can decide what's best for him, and I'm so sorry that you have to face this decision. I'd certainly be happy to consult with you if you'd like to discuss things further, just click the "consult online" button under my answer. I hope I've been helpful.

I am so very sorry to hear your baby has a tumor! That is devastating! Depending on what type of tumor it is and it's location (if it is in the bone vs in the spinal cord) can vary the average life expectancy of the animal, so it is really difficult to say without knowing these things. There are definitely treatments/medications that can help improve Caesar's quality of life for as long as possible. Additionally, some tumors respond favorably to radiation treatment or potentially chemotherapy as well, so that may or may not be an option for Caesar. If you aren't doing further treatments, then often adding in steroids to reduce swelling and inflammation can potentially make Caesar's quality of life as good as possible. I would discuss medication and expectations with your vet, as they will hopefully be able to give you more information based on what they are seeing in the x-ray. I would also focus on how he is doing day to day and how comfortable he is. Not every dog "reads the book" on how cancer progression is suppose to go and we always hope for longer time than the average. I would consider getting area rugs or carpet runners to give Caesar more grip when he is walking. Hard wood floors and tile can be difficult for any older dog to walk around on, so giving him more traction may help. I would also discuss pain management with your vet. Sometimes if they are more painful, we can adjust their medication for the "bad" days. Ultimately we look for good quality of life. If Caesar quality of life is starting to decline ("bad" days outnumber the "good" days), then I would consider humane euthanasia. It's never an easy decision for any owner (vets included!) but ultimately it is the last kind thing you can do when there is nothing else you can do for him. Again, I am so very sorry for you and your boy!

I'm sorry Ben has an anal tumor! Your vet is right that he will be pain, even if he doesn't act like it. Dogs can be very stoic about pain, and he is also showing you he is in pain from his arthritis based on the fact that he moves around slowly and can't get up stairs well. It's a hard choice to make as to when it's time to say goodbye to a beloved pet. I work for a home euthanasia company, so I face this question all the time with my clients. I recommend making a list of five things Ben loved to do. When he's not doing at least two of them, then his quality of life has declined to a point when humane euthanasia should be considered. Also consider his quality of life if he starts having trouble passing feces due to the size and location of the tumor. In the meantime, I would discuss giving him pain meds with your vet. This may improve his quality of life in terms of getting around and help with the pain from the tumor. If you'd like to discuss things further with me, you can request a consult for more in-depth help. Good luck, I hope this helps!