The treatment of cancer goes further than the treatment of the tumour itself.
As in man, every dog deals with this situation in a different way. Your dog may (temporarily) want to eat less, need extra attention or on the contrary more rest. Depending on the situation (e.g. after an intervention or during a treatment course) your dog may need your help to move about and keep clean.
In this section you will information on:
It is very important that your pet keeps eating. After all, via nutrition the necessary proteins for the immune system, which the dog needs to fight cancer, are being provided. Proteins also strengthen the body in general.
The first signs of chronic malnutrition often manifest themselves via the skin, the digestive system and the blood. Signs of a disturbed food intake are therefore visible as a bad fur quality, regular digestive problems (e.g. diarrhoea), excessive sebaceous discharge, apathy and pale mucosae (due to a low level of haemoglobin).
If your dog eats well, you can possibly optimize the food intake. For example, if your dog has kidney issues, he will ideally receive high-quality proteins, but in a reduced quantity. If your dog receives a home-cooked meal, it is advised to consult a veterinary nutrition specialist to check whether the meal consists of all the necessary elements in the right proportions.
It is not uncommon for cancer patients to abstain from eating or eat less. This is often the result of an increased inflammatory process linked to the tumour which suppresses the appetite.
A decreased appetite can also be the consequence of the tumour’s location (e.g. in the digestive system) or a side effect of a treatment.
Furthermore, chemotherapy can temporarily change the sense of smell and taste. As dogs and cats rely heavily on these to eat, this can also reduce their appetite.
This is a symptom that should be reported to your treating veterinarian. Vomiting once or twice is acceptable, but not more than that. When this happens, take away nutrition and water during 12h. If your dog does not vomit after drinking water, you can give him small amounts of more or less tasteless nutrition such as boiled chicken and cooked white rice. If your dog still does not vomit after eating this solid food you can slowly (over 3 days) re-administer his usual food. If the vomiting continues and/or your dog has a fever of over 39.5°C during more than 24h (normal body temperature: 38-39°C), you should alert your veterinarian.
Diarrhoea can occur during some treatments. Offer your dog more or less tasteless and easily digestible food such as cottage cheese, boiled chicken and boiled white rice. Offer slowly (over 3 days) again his regular food. If the diarrhoea persists for more than 72h, if your dog is sick and/or has a fever over 39.5°C (normal body temperature: 38-39°C), you should alert your veterinarian.
Vomiting, diarrhoea, fever or urinating excessively can lead to dehydration resulting in a prolonged recovery. The gums of your dog should feel moist and the skin soft and elastic. If your dog is not vomiting, always provide fresh drinking water. If the gums are continuously dry or the skin does not feel elastic, you should contact your veterinarian. It could be necessary to administer liquids to speed up the recovery.
Symptoms of an infection can be: fever as from 39.5°C, fatigue, vomiting, diarrhoea and/or a poor appetite. If your dog presents with one of the mentioned symptoms, his temperature should be measured. When the temperature exceeds 39.5°C the veterinarian should be alerted.
There are a number of aids to stimulate your dog to eat. One of these is heating up the food (until just below body temperature, so until 38°C). This releases more aroma allowing your dog to smell the food.
There are dogs who prefer to be handfed, as opposed to eating from a bowl. When handfeeding, it is very important to be very patient and not force anything. One can very gently apply easily spreadable food on the inside of the lip. When the dog takes this in and asks for more, this process can be repeated. If the dog remains apathetic or turns himself away, you must stop to avoid creating negative associations with the food.
Offering food occurs preferably in a quiet environment, without the bustle of other pets/children/visitors.
Dogs have taste receptors for salt and sweet. Adding sugar, syrup or other sweet compounds (no chocolate!!!) can improve the appetite.
If your dog is nauseous, it is best to avoid offering a whole array of different food sources because your dog can develop an aversion towards these.
If you regularly weigh your dog and keep track of his eating habits, this will help your veterinarian make decisions. For example, this way the veterinarian can make a distinction between anorexia (not wanting to eat) and cachexia (lose weight despite having a good appetite). The former can be altered by adapting the nutrition or by giving medication that improves the appetite, while the latter may require change in the treatment approach.
It may be obvious, but after an operation a dog can be too weak to take care of himself. At that time, a big contribution to the wellbeing of your dog is keeping him as clean as possible. This consists for example regularly taking your dog outside to defecate and urinate there. This way, you can avoid that the smell sticks to the fur.
When urine or other fluids flow over the skin, this can cause irritation. Irritation can be avoided by applying Vaseline or honey cream on the skin. Of course any urine or faeces need to be washed off well as soon as possible before applying anything to the skin.
In certain treatment phases, it is possible that dead tissue piles up and/or a malodorous discharge occurs. Ask your veterinarian how to best deal with this to i.a. avoid the smell attracting flies. If needs be, your veterinarian can advise you on the use of fly repellents.
When a dog recovers from an operation to the paw (e.g. amputation), the post-operative facilities can help speed up recovery. For example, you can prevent your dog from slipping and hurting himself by placing rugs on slippery floors.
When a hind leg should be spared in the beginning of the recovery, the paw can be kept in an Ehmer-sling bandage, for a front paw a Velpeau sling can be used. Before you apply these slings yourself, your veterinarian must show you how it should be done and what you need to look out for.
If your dog has not been able to move for a while, you can perform physical exercises with him. Ask advice from your veterinarian or veterinary physiotherapist on how to best perform this.
In case you need to bring your dog somewhere by car, you can provide a board or step stool to get in and out of the car (instead of jumping in and out).
For more information on how to help three legged dogs, please visit Tripawds.
A comfortable bedding (e.g. orthopaedic dog bed that is larger in surface than the dog, with low borders and sufficiently deep to lie comfortably) allows your dog to rest more easily.
Isolation should be avoided, especially when your dog has a social demeanour. After all, positive feelings reduce the feeling of pain or discomfort.
It is important to have regular social interactions (between you and your dog, between other pets and your dog). You can also enrich the environment with toys or material your dog likes, this induces mental stimulation and distraction. You can also regularly suggest to play, with other animals or with other members of the household.
Avoid changes in routine, stress or sleeping habits as much as possible. Keep a journal for yourself containing what you think is important concerning the quality of life of your dog and what you notice in his behaviour.
