When to Euthanize a Dog with Lymphoma

The company of pets is always a thing of joy, succor and pleasure for many pet owners. So, being faced with the option to put their esteemed pets with an incurable disease down is a very tough and painful choice for most pet owners. Canine Lymphoma is a disease that attacks your dog’s lymphocytes which are white blood cells that coexist with the immune system to keep dogs away from infection. Here are the diagnostic procedures, treatment options, symptoms, causes, and conditions for euthanasia you need to know about lymphoma in dogs.

When to Euthanize a Dog with Lymphoma

If your dog has been given a good prognosis and the lymphoma hasn’t affected their health to a large extent, then it is too early to consider euthanasia. Before thinking about euthanasia, visit your vet who may have other treatment options you haven’t tried. However, there are situations in which it may become absolutely proper and necessary is to put your dog down.

At this stage, you have tried all other treatment options but no to avail. So, you might want to start considering euthanasia. For example, if a dog is still showing symptoms such as extreme weakness, vomiting, diarrhea, and if the cancer has become very painful, you don’t have any choice but to put him down. It’s now crystal clear that your dog’s condition can’t improve.

Causes of lymphoma in Dogs

It is difficult to pinpoint one major cause of Canine lymphoma because it can be caused by many factors and circumstances. It can happen as a result of being exposed to phenoxyacetic acid herbicides or magnetic fields.

Symptoms of lymphoma in Dogs

How do you know if your dog has lymphoma? The symptoms include difficulty with breathing, decreased appetite, extreme fatigue, lethargy, vomiting, diarrhea, intense thirst, weight loss, and behavioral changes. You may notice more symptoms depending on the kind of lymphoma that your dog has. For example, with cutaneous lymphoma, a type of extranodal lymphoma, your pet may develop lesions on his skin or in his mouth, often with a scaly texture.

Treatment Options of lymphoma in dogs

Chemotherapy is a treatment option considered to be most effective for canine lymphoma. Chemo does not often make dogs as indisposed as it does to people, and pets hardly lose their hair. Dogs with metacentric lymphoma are usually given the chemotherapy protocol UW-25. Given the fact that your pet can develop lymphoma in many areas of his body, a good number of professional vets prefer chemotherapy to surgery.

According to the Center for Animal Referral and Emergency Services (CARES), there is a possibility that dogs that go through chemo for canine lymphoma will enter remission, up to 90 percent of them. This remission which may be complete or partial, and can help to suppress the symptoms of canine lymphoma your dog is showing. But this does not mean the cancer has vanished completely; chances are that it could resurface in the future.

How to Make a Dog with Lymphoma Comfortable

It’s very important to know that not all dogs having canine lymphoma are asymptomatic. Even while your dog is in remission, he can still have a fun-filled and interesting life. Yes, your pet can still have a whale of a time every day even though they’re not yet cured of lymphoma. It all depends on you as his loving owner. Always take him to your vet for a check-up and help him get around. Create quality time to be with him, petting and grooming him. From time to time, engage him in light exercise and play based on your vet’s advice.

My Dog Has Lymphoma What Can I Expect?

Dogs with lymphoma tend to have lymph nodes 3-to-10 times their normal size. These swellings feel like a strong rubbery lump that moves easily under the skin of your dog. These swellings are not painful though. Dogs with multicentric lymphoma may also develop weakness, fever, dehydration as the disease aggravates, lethargy, and anorexia.