Dog Diagnosed with Bladder Cancer

Happened my first poor doberman - lymph node cancer. Had to put him to sleep in 1996 and still miss him and think about him. I do the same with all my pets so perhaps I may not be the best person to give advice. At least you got an honest vet who did not string you along with endless surgery visits to clock up as much cash as possible. I went to another vet who broke the bad news to me straight away.

It may seem heartless but the only way I have been able to cope is to get another dog or cat fairly soon afterwards. I lost my 11 year old cat Pixie at the start of April which I found the hardest ever loss given the very strong bond we had for each other. I got my new cat Toby last week and he has cheered me up no end with his goofing around and always playful attitude.

By all means enjoy the good times you still have together but - and this may seem hard and cold but don't let things drift along to where you dog begins to suffer. I know that is going to be very hard on you but in the long term you will thank yourself for acting in time.

Ah I’m so sorry to hear about your dog :( The advice above is great. I’d think about any mementos you might want - like keeping some fur, a paw print etc - you don’t have to do anything with them until you’re ready but it’s great to have them for when you feel up to it. Also maybe think of what your plan is when the time comes - do you want to go to the vet or have them come to you..if you’re cremating do you want to maybe bring him to the crematorium yourself and get ashes back the next day vs potentially waiting weeks and weeks etc. Get the practicalities sorted in your head, write it down if you need to etc as (in my experience at least) things can change very quickly and you may not have time to think when the times comes. Spoil him and make memories with him while you can and the hardest part - try to look after yourself. It’s very easy to get bogged down with anticipatory grief in this situation.