Dog lymphoma: breathing problems, vomiting. Is it time to say goodbye?

I'm sorry to hear that Rocky is having this problem. Until the biopsy results come back, it's impossible to say if this is lymphoma vs some type of infection - it could be either one. Treatment will depend on the diagnosis. So for now, I would continue on whatever medications he's currently taking as prescribed by your vet, and wait for his test results to come back. Your veterinarian will be able to advise you on treatment recommendations at that point, depending on what is found. For now, if he's having any difficulty breathing, the safest bet would be to take him to your nearest ER to be evaluated to make sure he doesn't need oxygen or other emergency care today.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I am sorry to hear Diesel isn’t feeling well. The prednisone is supposed to help slow the growth of the cancer but eventually it won’t be effective. Prednisone alone isn’t enough to cure him. If he is getting worse and the lymph nodes are growing it is likely the prednisone is no longer helping. I would discuss your options with the vet that diagnosed him but there isn’t much more they can do for him. I am so sorry and I hope the rest of his life is pain free. Good luck and kisses to Diesel!

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.

Poor guy. Labored breathing in a pet with lymphoma suggests that the cancer has spread to the lungs I'm afraid. Another possible cause for panting is that Buster is in discomfort, but the panting would not be labored. If the panting continues throughout the day, then I would suggest considering end of life discussions with your vet to assess whether it is best to humanely euthanize or try other palliative care options to possibly make Buster more comfortable. I am so sorry that your pet Buster is so ill and hope that you can make a good decision about his care moving forward. Take care.

Hi there! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is a common question I encounter as I only see cancer patients and lymphoma is very common in my practice. Prednisone is good for lymphoma though as you are noticing, lymphoma will eventually progress, as noted by peripheral lymph node enlargement. Normally, lymphoma will not cause clinical signs for some time until it enters more of the end stage. Lymphoma is not typically a painful disease and it is more of a debilitating disease. For this reason, what you will notice at the end is clinical signs such as lethargy, decreased appetite and Brandi just not being interested in the normal things that she enjoys. The median survival time of dogs with multicentric lymphoma just on prednisone is about 2 to 2 and 1/2 months. Usually I tell my clients that the time to consider humane euthanasia is when they are not doing 3 out of their 5 favorite things. Good luck with your girl!

I'm sorry to hear this is happening. I recommend to call your vet. This could be a side effect from the medication or it could indicate his lungs are filling with fluid from the cancer. I hope they figure out a solution quickly.

I hate to hear that about Lennon. It’s so tough when they have multiple health concerns. I do agree that you should find out if he has lymphoma or not. This will at least allow you to make informed decisions and to understand an appropriate prognosis and timeline as to what you should expect. There are several ways to diagnose lymphoma and one common and very easy way to do it is with a aspiration of the lumps. This procedure is virtually painless and does not require sedation or stitches. It can generally diagnose lymphoma but is not 100%. Once you know if there is lymphoma present or not, you must decide if putting Lennon through chemotherapy makes sense for you and for him. There is no wrong or right answer to this question. The main thing is you will not let Lennon suffer and realize that without chemotherapy, he will succomb to his illness a lot faster. I hope this helps to point yiunin the right direction and that you found it helpful. Please feel free to post any additional questions.