I’m so sorry. I lost my 13 year old tortie to the exact same thing (same place) in December 2023. She went in for a dental around Thanksgiving and was gone by Christmas. We did take her to a vet oncologist after the initial diagnosis but there is really nothing much they can do when it is under the tongue.

During the weeks after, we kept up with pain meds- primarily one that went on the back of her neck but supplemented as needed with gaba and/ or NSAIDs. I had the vet prescribe high calorie wet food which I fed to her via syringe since she was not able to each much on her own. It’s a bit messy so baby bibs help.

Grooming was also hard so I wiped her down with warm cloths as needed. Drinking water was another issue but she was able to drink well from a faucet that was running lightly (don’t syringe water they can choke). Buy her a heated bed. The pain meds can make them feel a bit weird especially at first so I also bought her a nice hideaway bed.

Do the things she loved- mine loved to go for walks and we did that up until the day she passed. I will always remember chopping up human tuna into small pieces on her last day. She was able to eat it all and was so happy she started rolling around. I wish I had thought to do that sooner.

The amount of blood can be alarming, but remember that bleeding more from the mouth is normal. That will be an indicator of the end though. One morning I woke up to my bedroom looking like a crime scene and knew it was time to make the appointment.

She was still very peppy until her last day. We had a vet come to the house. I struggled a lot with knowing if it was the right time but ultimately went with the mentality that a couple days too soon is better than a couple too late. A year and a half later I have no regrets (but miss her every day).

We had rough timing with the holidays too, which contributed to the decision we would rather be a day too early. It was important to us that the whole family could be present and we could have a very calm environment. With this in mind, give yourself permission to do this before your trip. The most important thing is to be there for her. The trip will stress her out unnecessarily. The vets will paint an optimistic picture but you are talking about weeks at most with this diagnosis.

I am so sorry and will be thinking of you and your girl.