To help prevent vomiting, you should try to get Heater an injection of Cerenia (Maropitant) from your veterinarian. It is a powerful antivomiting medication that needs to be repeated every 24 hours. There is some sting to the injection, which can be minimized if your veterinarian stores the medication in the refrigerator. An alternative would be to get a few pills of the same medication, which would also be effective if Heater can at least hold them down.
You may have to discontinue the antibiotic if she continues to vomit, but the Sucralfate may be helpful and worth continuing.
Try to keep her from getting dehydrated by offering small amounts of hamburger and boiled white rice. If she is not interested, at least try Pedialyte or even G-2 Gatorade (lower in calories) to provide some additional calories and electrolytes.
Hopefully you can keep her comfortable for the next few days. I am sorry you have to say goodbye.
Hi Doggiebuddie,
I'm really sorry about your situation...
I would highly suggest you discuss a referral to a specialist with your family vet.
And I would suggest either an internal medicine specialist who handles chemo, or an oncologist, with is a cancer specialist. Please don't be scared by the word chemo. It can be simple, affordable and with few side-effects in some cases.
If they confirm that euthanasia is the only option, then you can hopefully feel relieved and maybe get better closure.
But what if they offer a treatment?
Good luck, and please keep us posted.
Phil Zeltzman, DVM, DACVS
Pet surgeon and author of a free, weekly newsletter for true pet lovers, available at DrPhilZeltzman.com
Thank you Drs Geller and Zeltzman for your informative responses. I had Heater to the Oncologist today and she concurs with my vet. It seems Heater is a little too far into the Lymphoma for any meds to make much of a difference. Her lymphocites are at a count of 75,000 as opposed to the 4,800 in a normal dog. The disease has also now spread into her blood system giving her only a few more days to enjoy her family and home. She did however enjoy hamburger today and I will try a little more later. Fish is on the menu for tomorrow.
I have come to terms with her plight and am comforted to know she will be resting peacefully soon ... perhaps even being reunited with her playmate lab that passed away suddenly last year. They will frolic in the meadows together soon, chasing rabbits at will.
Christine