My senior dog has cancer and is vomiting. What can I do now?

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I am so sorry that Gunner isn't doing well. If he is unable to eat and is vomiting everytime he eats, then you need to consider his quality of life. I would recommend a visit to a vet to discuss if a feeding tube can be placed and if that would be the best decision for Gunner or not. If he is vomiting, not eating, and sick, then you may need to consider and discuss euthanasia. I know this is very difficult, however it is important to talk to your vet about quality of life, and different options for Gunner. Best of luck and again I am so sorry that Gunner isn't feeling well.

Hi there! Thanks for letting us take care of you today! Sorry to hear about Ruger. I definitely know where you are coming from as I mostly see cancer patients. What I usually tell my clients is that the time to consider humane euthanasia is when they stop being themselves. For example, when they stop doing 3 out of their 5 favorite things (eating, playing, or whatever these are), it is time to let them go without suffering. Of course this is if not considering treating the cancer. There are always palliative medications you could consider like prednisone and anti-nausea medications (as cancer can cause nausea depending on the type) just from a palliative standpoint to try to make Ruger feel better in the meantime. Sorry you are going through a rough time.

Glad to hear that the vomiting was resolved with Cerenia. This is usually a pretty good indication that there is no serious obstruction within the upper or lower intestinal tract. If there is continued diarrhea, the addition of an antibiotic / anti inflammatory such as metronidazole would be my next step. You can certainly use medications such as pepto bismol or maalox but I do not find them to be very effective. They do not actually address inflammation in a particularly effective manner. Another possibility unfortunately that can not be ignored in an 11 year old animal are certain types of cancer. However, I would not truly begin to consider this strongly unless there has been a longer history of problems, including weight loss and muscle wasting. Hope this makes sense.

Poor Scruffy. There are some good anti-nausea drugs. I would talk to your vet about giving her a shot of cerenia or something similar for nausea. Sometimes they need the shot first to get it in their system then you can follow up with the oral version of it every day. I hope this helps!

Vomiting that often in an older dog that still has an appetite and is drinking water can be a sign of something stuck in the stomach or a mass. If Kruzer ate a ball, toy bone or something in the yard it may not be able to pass and may sit in the stomach causing irritation and vomiting. As this has been going on for a few weeks I recommend taking him in for abdominal X-rays. They should be able to see if the stomach is normal and if there is anything stuck in it. If he's losing weight and not feeling well then I would run a blood panel also to check his organ function. Once they have a diagnosis of the cause of the vomiting they can then proceed with treatment. If he has something stuck in the stomach sometimes surgery is needed to remove it. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Kruzer.

I'm very sorry Karma has mammary tumors! The running eyes can be signs of an eye infection, and the vomiting can be a sign that the cancer has progressed. The vomiting can also be due to a GI illness, liver failure, kidney failure, pancreatitis, or eating something rotten among other causes. When a dog has vomited as many times as Karma has in such a short period of time, it's recommend to have the dog seen by a vet right away. In addition, any eye problems is also considered an emergency because the eye is such a delicate and important structure. My advice is to have her seen by a vet right away.

Some medications might help. Antibiotics and pain killers (anti-inflammatories) can definitively improve his condition clearing up mouth infection. Symptomatic treatment for vomiting might help as well. I would recommend to have him on a bland diet based on boiled chicken and rice. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.