My dog has bladder cancer. How can I extend his life comfortably?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Lymphoma is in fact a cancer. This is typically treated with chemotherapy. There are many chemotherapy options that can be considered such as a multi agent protocol called CHOP. There are other chemotherapeutic medications that can be considered depending on what your veterinarian has available. In general, chemotherapy is well-tolerated in dogs when done appropriately. If not able to proceed with chemotherapy, there are other options like prednisone therapy alone which in itself can help dogs with lymphoma though for a very short amount of time. The prognosis with chemotherapy varies and depends on the type of lymphoma he has (B-cell vs. T-cell) and the treatment chosen. The prognosis varies between 6 to 12 months with chemotherapy and about 2 months on just prednisone. Please feel free to request a consultation with me if you have more specific questions. Good luck!

So sorry to hear that Skylla has this problem. Depending on the location of the cancer in the bladder, surgery would be the best option followed by radiation. Radiation alone is not usually recommended as the bladder tends to get very damaged and non-functional. As far as non-surgical options, your vet is correct to give an NSAID like Previcoxx however, a better NSAID to use would be piroxicam but I do not know if it is available in your country. If an NSAID alone is not working we then go to using NSAID plus chemotherapy (mitoxantrone). A third option is chemotherapy alone with vinblastine or other combinations of drugs. You will need to speak to your vet to see what options are available in your country and the costs involved. Also, it depends on where in the bladder Skylla's cancer is located. You could also refer your vet to this article if they are not used to treating this type of cancer. ( https://www.purdue.edu/vet/pcop/files/docs/CanineUrinaryBladderCancer.pdf ) Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Unfortunately there are not good treatments for transitional cell carcinoma, the most common type of cancer found in the bladder. If the tumor is inoperable then often anti-inflammatory medication like meloxicam is recommended to slow progression of the tumor. Chemotherapy is sometimes an option as well, but would not result in a cure. I'm so sorry for your loss - it sounds like Charlie was loved like a member of the family and you did what you could to keep him comfortable.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I am so sorry about Chunk's diagnosis! This is a terrible situation! If Chunk is having such a hard time now, it will likely be the same if the rear leg was amputated. Amputation is just palliative unfortunately, meaning it buys you and the pet time. Most bone cancers have microscopically spread by the time they are diagnosed. If Chunk's tumor is a fibroscarcoma then it is slower to spread and he could get more good time if he loses weight and is able to learn how to get around with 3 legs. So, if you are not ready to give up or give in to the situation, ask to have a biopsy done of the tumor so you know what cancer you are dealing with. If it is a fibroscarcoma then amputate and deal with losing the weight afterwards. If it is osteosarcoma then I think putting him down is fair. I am again very sorry that this is happening to you and Chunk. He is too young!

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I’m sorry to hear that Leo has very advanced cancer. When there are tumors in the chest, these are often inoperable, so our goal is to keep Leo as comfortable as possible. At some point, however, especially if Leo is having a hard time breathing, he is likely suffering, and it may be time to consider having him humanely euthanized. It is always hard to let go of our pets, but sometimes it is the best decision when it means we can eliminate their suffering. I hope this is helpful, best of luck with your decision for Leo.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Based on these reports, I would recommend a referral to an oncologist to talk about treatment options for this cancerous mass. These types of tumors can be quite aggressive and may involve surgical debulking of the mass in addition to radiation therapy and chemotherapy. I would discuss this with the veterinarian that performed these diagnostics in regards to who he / she would recommend for an oncologist so that you can discuss your options for Tiny. I wish you the best of luck and please do not hesitate to contact us further if you have any other questions / concerns.

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.