Dog has untreated cancer. What to expect for comfort and timeline?

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Yogi. I am sorry to hear of his recent diagnosis. It is wonderful that he is still feeling well. I do not suspect this will be the case for long, as the mass and fluid will ultimately interfere with his ability to breathe. If treatment is not possible, it will continue to grow. I would suspect this to happen within 1-3 months. You can consider pain medication if his attitude or appetite changes. His veterinarian can prescribe something for him. In the meantime, enjoy all of your time with him.

HI, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Yogi! I am sorry you are going through this. It is hard to jump in to a case like this with only a CT image. It might be better for you to sign up for a consult with one of out Vets to have a one on one text conversation. My impression of the CT is that there is a mass in Yogi's chest, in the mediastinum. There is abnormal fluid accumulation likely from the mass and there are also suspicious nodules with in his lung tissue. Which I think is safe to assume is metastatic. If Yogi was my dog and he had a chest tumor with suspected metastatic disease I wouldn't pursue further diagnosistics or surgery as his prognosis is very poor. To put him through a painful surgery when it has spread seems unfair for him. If the "biopsy" was really an aspirate they tend to sometimes be non-diagnostic as most tumor cells do not exfoliate well in to a needle. A true tissue sample would be needed. I am not sure knowing which type of cancer he has will change how I would proceed. Another option is to see a Veterinary Specialist. I would recommend an Oncologist. Sitting down with all the tests and having a discussion may help you. You can also call your Vet and ask to sit and talk about the results with out Yogi present. Just so you know all that you can before making any decisions. I am again very sorry for you and Yogi. Let me know if I can help in any other way.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I would agree that the mediastinal mass is very evident and I would also be very suspicious that it is in fact cancer even if the biopsy did not show that. Sometimes dogs appear to be comfortable even when they are in pain. These new lumps you describe could be somewhat related to this or may be unrelated. I think it would be ideal to have Yogi reevaluated to see if the mass has progressed and if the nodules in the lungs (which likely represent spread of the tumor) have also progressed. I would maintain him on pain control medications even if he does not appear to be obviously in pain. Good luck and have a great day!

I'm sorry Yogi has a mass! From the images you provided, it looks like he has a mass in his mediastinum that has spread into his pectoral muscles, fluid in his right lung, and nodules in the right lung. I would be suspicious that the nodles in his right lung are cancer that has spread from the medilstinal mass. Dogs can have tumors and still appear normal, and then suddenly appear sick. Without seeing him in person I can't say for certain, but these images do not suggest good news for him. I certainly understand your concern about going on holiday and him going downhill while you aren't there. Speak with your vet to get their opinion on how long he may have left. You can decide to not go on your holiday to spend time with him, or you can go on the holiday, but leave him with a trusted friend and plan to head back home right away if things look poorly for him. It's a very hard decision to make, and I'm so sorry you are in this position. First speak with his vet to get a better idea of what he is facing so that you can make a more informed decision. Best of luck, I hope this helps.

I'm very sorry to hear about your dog's diagnosis, and definitely understand opting not to pursue advanced treatment due to cost. Unfortunately, the expected prognosis and quality of life depends a lot of the specifics of the situation, so it's not really possible to say based on such limited information. I would recommend talking to the veterinarian who is treating her about your concerns. He/she should be able to give you a better idea of what to expect as the disease runs its course, and can also prescribe pain medication or other meds if needed to help keep her comfortable.

I am so sorry about the diagnosis for you and Diamond. This is a cancer of the blood so it can go anywhere. Typically without chemotherapy and only prednisone the survival time is 30-60 days. You can try low fat yogurt, lean ground beef, turkey, chicken and rice and baby food. Typically they will feel nauseated and sick and will not have an appetite towards the end. The swelling from the lymph nodes can interfer with their comfort and breathing. They will drop weight drastically. When they are too weak to walk anymore and have no appetite or keep vomiting then it will be time for you to discussed euthanasia and quality of life with your vet.

Tony is such a handsome boy! I'm so sorry he has cancer though, that is very tough for you. I can understand not wanting to put him through surgery and chemo; while it will give him a little extra time, it won't cure the cancer and the end result is the same. It's fine not to do that, and if you really don't want to take that treatment path, I recommend making the most of the time you have left with him. Spoil him rotten, give him foods he loves (but make sure they aren't ones that are toxic!), go for walks and car rides, and have him enjoy every bit of life he has left. Continue to monitor his quailty of life, and make a list of five things he loves to do. When he no longer is doing at least two of them, then his quality of life has declined to a point where euthansia should be considered. Keep in contact with your vet about how he's doing to you can evaluate his quality of life objectively and make the best decision possible for him. I hope this helps, and again I'm sorry you are in this position.