How to help my dog with an inoperable tumor in pain and not eating?

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I'm sorry that Bella has this cancer, but glad that she is still eating and happy. Depending on the type of cancer, steroid may or may not help, I would discuss with your vet about a steroid vs. an NSAID. The two cannot be given at the same time so you will have to pick one or the other. Gabapentin is good for pain as well, so continue this and ask your vet if you can increase this dose. CBD oil is controversial for sure, but the biggest issue is that the amount of drug in each 'pill'/'capsule' is highly variable, so sometimes there will be no drug and sometimes far too much. If Bella isn't responding well to it, then I would suggest stopping it. Ulcerated skin will be painful, but gauge her quality of life based on if she is eating, walking, wagging her tail, happy otherwise, you know her best. Best of luck with Bella, I hope she feels happy for a long time!

I'm so sorry to hear the Cooper has cancer. I understand your concern. There is no blanket answer to your question though. He may be nauseated so taking a medication like Zofran (ondansetron) daily may be helpful. Ask your vet about using that. You know him best so just give him anything he wants to eat. You can try human baby food (meat flavors) often that works. Dogs also like Hill's a/d that you can get from your vet and it is very high in calories so they don't have to each much to take in more calories. I do think it is best to consult with your vet on this issue since they have all of his medical history. It is hard for me to comment without all the facts. I hope you understand.

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.

Unfortunately, there are no safe OTC pain relievers for dogs. Many are toxic for dogs and can be fatal if given. I'm not sure what kind of surgery your dog has, perhaps a spay, but she should likely not still be in pain three days before taking out her staples. It's also concerning that she won't eat, which could also be due to pain. This pain and anorexia could be an indication of a post surgical complication. Her symptoms are serious enough that she needs medical treatment now. There will be a vet on call for emergencies in your area. The information to find that vet is found on the clinic's answering machine or website. You can also see if there is an ER veterinary clinic in your area. Please take her into a vet asap.

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!

Poor Mussi! It is likely from the soreness of the biopsy. I would go ahead and give the pain meds like instructed if you haven't already. I would also try to entice him to eat with some plain boiled boneless skinless chicken and white rice or a plain scrambled egg. If this doesn't help him eat, I would contact your vet. Your vet may want to see him back to give him something for his appetite or to look at where the biopsy was done. I hope this helps and he starts to feel better really soon!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Boppa. The mass appears quite large from your pictures and ulcerated. I assume this is painful to him. If he is no longer eating well, this is also a sign of pain. I recommend discussing euthanasia with his veterinarian. He appears to be a stoic dog based on his breed and other than not eating well, will likely not tell you he is in pain. I am sorry for your situation and hope this information helps.