Palliative care for dogs with cancer focuses on maintaining quality of life and minimising suffering throughout the disease course, often combined with or following active treatment.
Dogs with cancer deserve thoughtful palliative care that acknowledges their experience of pain, nausea, fatigue, and reduced function. Effective palliative protocols maintain engagement with enjoyable activities, good nutrition, pain control, and human connection for as long as possible. The transition to end-of-life euthanasia should be guided by quality of life assessment rather than timeline, preventing prolonged suffering when palliation can no longer maintain adequate welfare.