Bobby has a tumour

[kvmt10]

Last week we took my English cocker spaniel, Boby to the vets because he has a red lump between his back legs.
The vet says that it is a tumour, and we can opt to have it removed, but because Bobby is an aged dog, it may have more risks than leaving it as is.

He is quite happy, in no physical pain so Do you think we should just leave it, and when it gets really bad operat?
I don;t want to risk it when he is still happy.
What do you think?

[Deidre]

I would recommend that the vet carry out a biopsy and have it examined to see whether it is benign or cancerous; you really need to ascertain what the situation is in order to make an informed decision....if it happens to be malignant then it is best to have it removed asap BEFORE it has a chance to spread; I don't want to scare you but it is best to be safe than sorry.

How old is Boby? Even if he is elderly he could still handle the anaesthetic well providing that there is nothing else wrong with him, for example..kidney or liver problems and that is why you should ask your vet to do a pre-op blood test to check for any underlying health problems that you may not be aware of; also some anaesthetics are less risky than others and you could discuss this issue with your vet also. If it so happens that there is a degree of kidney problems then the way to compensate is to keep the dog on a drip for a while longer to flush the kidneys as much as possible and to alleviate any further harm that can be caused by the anaesthetic.

Good luck.

[SalemsMom]

About few years ago,my chow,Deiogie,9 at the time,had a tumor the size of a golp ball on her neck,the vets said it would be hard on her,so we had him put a needle in it,it was to hard to get fluid,and he wanted to get it out,so we operated,she come through with flying colors,and the tumor was the type to be cancer,but was still benign. I would have it tested,just like Deidre,said,then go from there.

[Dax]

If you have already decided to leave it, a biopsy is not needed. Dax has lots of tumors. She's 11 yrs old already. For us since it's not going to improve the quality of the life she has left and the surgery would be very very hard on her, we just leave them alone.

It'a a very personal decision. How old is the dog and what kind is he? If it was cancerous, could you afford thousands of dollars in treatment?

[agilitydog]

My 8 yo old shepard has several tumors to that we have opted to leave. They are not bothering her and an aged dog can have a hard time with surgery.

[kvmt10]

Bobby is now 11years old. He is a english cocker spaniel.
In the last few years he has had about 4 operations to remove fatty deposits on his chest.
The tumor is about the size of a pea and hasnt grow for a number of weeks.
The vet is inclined to think it is benign, But I will look into a biopsy.
As a few of you have said, I am concerned about his quality of life, He is happy and healthy(apart from said tumor) so would it be kinder to leave it?

The vet said it would be perfectly fine to leave it, and later get it removed if it grows quickly or is affecting him.

Thankyou for your advice, you are all so knowledgeable.

[Deb's Tiny Dogs]

I would have a biopsy done, or at least a needle aspiration, so you know what you're dealing with.

[Deidre]

Cocker spaniels can live to the ripe old age of 15-16 providing that they have nothing else wrong with them so I would be inclined to ask for a full blood profile to see if everything else is okay and if so then I would want the lump checked to make sure that it is indeed benign, if it is benign then obviously I would leave it alone but if it turns out cancerous I would want it removed as a matter of urgency before it gets the chance to spread....if the blood test shows that there are other health problems (for example..a raised creatinine level which indicates kidney failure, or liver problems, etc) then I may think twice about subjecting him to surgery irrespective of whether the lump is cancerous as the anaesthetic can further damage the kidneys and may precipitate a faster decline...

Do keep us updated. ALL THE VERY BEST.