My old dog has cancer, struggling to breathe, no surgery. What now?

Hello there and thank you for your question on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! You have asked a tough question here- this is hard to answer as there are a lot of unknowns at this point. From what you have told me, it appears there is some tumor or cancer that is causing fluid to build up in his abdomen. This can be very painful but it seems like the pain is being controlled somewhat with draining of the fluid. Steroids can help the pain as well as slow down progression of certain cancers. If all else appears to be okay (eating and drinking okay, no vomiting or diarrhea), then Leo may continue this way for some time. In this case, I think it is best to take it day by day and focus on cherishing each day you have with him. Sometimes animals that do have cancer (depending on what cancer they have) can do very well for a while but then turn on a dime so it is important to cherish the present instead of focusing too much on the future in this case. I hope this has helped and best wishes to you and Leo!

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear about Louie. I'm so sorry that you and him are going through this. I usually tell clients that once he stops eating, drinking, develops difficulty breathing, becomes severely lethargic, etc. it's time to start thinking about euthanasia to prevent suffering. So those are the guidelines I suggest. Again, I'm so sorry you are going through this. I wish you the best in the coming days. Remember, this is the hardest thing that humans will go through in this life. Follow your heart. Louie will tell you when he's ready. God Bless

Unfortunately once cancer has spread to the lungs, there is no treatment that can prolong his survival rate. Your vet is right in the sense that spending thousands of dollars doing radiation therapy and surgery (risky now because Ceasar has lung lesions) is not the best course of treatment. Palliative care (making him comfortable) is the best treatment for him at this stage of his cancer. I am so sorry your pet has cancer and I wish you all the best in the days to come. 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.

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!

I am so sorry, but there is nothing you can do at home for this, other than try to keep it clean if it breaks open and bleeds (which it looks like it could do at any time). Short of taking her in, there really just aren’t any options... this would require surgical removal. If she’s comfortable, eating, and happy, it’s not wrong to just love on her for the time she has left and not pursue treating the tumor. Again, I’m sorry I don’t have more options to offer you. Thank you for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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.