Our question this week was:

My dog has cancer. And has tumors every where on his body but mostly on his lymph notes so its very difficult for him to breath. The vet told my family that its almost time to put him down. But lately he's been very active. But he wheezes all the time. When will know it's the time to put him down?

Katie Miller

Answer

I'm very sorry to hear about your dog. Your dogs condition sounds terrible. It sounds like he has lymphoma which is a cancer that lymphoid system. It commonly causes severe enlargement of lymph nodes. The large lymph nodes can interfere with breathing, eating and general comfort.

Your question is "How will you know when its time to put him down". This is tough and the answer varies with each person. For me, it's when the quality of life is no longer good. I tell my clients this: Dogs are too good of friends to let them suffer. For me, if a dog is no longer eating, having trouble breathing and not doing the sorts of things that you know make him happy, it's time.

An article on PetPlace.com that might help you is When to Consider Euthanasia in Dogs.

Also, you might be interested in Lymphoma in Dogs.

Regards,


Dr. Jon




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