My Boxer has cancer and a swollen paw. How can I make her comfortable?

This depends on the underlying cause of the welling. In some cases water tablets/diuretics may help but I would be concerned with her history that there may be a physical mass which is putting pressure on the draining blood vessels and lymphatics preventing the fluid from moving out her abdomen and legs in which case this will not respond to medical treatment and euthanasia would be strongly advised before clots or severe infection develops in the swollen tissue

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Unfortunately, it is impossible to say for sure what the cause is based on your description. Lymph nodes can become enlarged due to inflammation, infection or cancer. Seeing that Diamond is a boxer breed, is 7 years old, losing weight and has enlarged lymph nodes leads me to suspect something such as Lymphoma (a type of cancer) as the cause. I would recommend having this further worked up with a veterinarian and have further testing done such as a needle aspirate and cytology to help determine what it could be. This test is not that expensive and can tell a veterinarian a lot about the area tested. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

He probably has an elbow hygroma from lying on a hard surface. Encourage him to lie on a soft, padded surface. Have him examined by your vet, he/she could bandage the area to provide extra padding or fit him for a specialy made wrap from Dog Leggs. http://www.dogleggs.com/standard-length-adjustable-dogleggs/

I'm sorry to hear that Diamond isn't doing well. There are many potential reasons for lameness and lethargy. The first thing that comes to mind would be a tick-related illness such as Lyme disease. Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses can cause significant joint inflammation, fever and general malaise. I would ensure that Diamond has easy access to food and water and that you offer him some yummy options such as low-sodium chicken broth to drink and boiled chicken to eat. You can also try applying a cool compress to his swollen paw. If these ministrations are not successful and Diamond continues to be lethargic and inappetant, I would strongly recommend that you have him seen by a veterinarian. Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses are relatively easy to diagnose and are treatable. Other potential causes for his symptoms would be an injury, infection or cancer. Your veterinarian will be able to determine what is going on.

I'm sorry Vaida has lymphoma. There is a condition known as cachexia when a dog has cancer where they lose muscle mass and weight even if they eat enough. Unfortunately there is nothing that can be done for it, and nothing that can help her gain weight. I don't know how much time she has left or what stage of cancer she is in without seeing her in person, but cachexia is not a good sign. I'd start marking on a calendar when she has good days and bad days, and when the bad days outweigh the good days, it would be time to consider letting her go. I hope this helps during this tough time.

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Oakley. She sounds like she is painful, and she may have strained or torn a ligament. I recommend resting her for the next 48 hours. No running, jumping, or playing. Take her out to toilet on a leash, and bring her right back in when she's done. If she still appears painful after this time, then I would take her into the vet for an exam. The vet can diagnose where the pain is coming from, and can dictate a treatment plan for it. She may also benefit from some pain medications, which the vet can prescribe. Please do not give her any human pain medications, as many are toxic to dogs and can be fatal if given. I hope this helps!

I'm so sorry to hear that Lucy is dealing with osteosarcoma. It is difficult to tell from the picture exactly where the swelling is. We will sometimes see wounds or pressure sores from changes in how they stand or lie down which can sometimes get infected, so I would have your veterinarian examine Lucy to determine what the new swelling is and decide on the best treatment. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.