Any vets or vet nurses able to offer advice?

[Cakeonthefloor]

My dog (11 year old, female, mini schnauzer) seems well in herself. She is eating, drinking normally and is playful and lively. She has always had a bump under the skin of her neck. It has recently got bigger (about 1.5cm) and has a crusty top which sometimes oozes a clear fluid. We took her to the vet who wanted to remove it. Under anaesthetic, her heart rate dropped so they woke her up without removing the lump. The vet wants to try again but the same thing might happen. The dog is so upset and traumatised tonight. I don't think it is worth the risk for a painless lump but it may be cancer. Any advice?

Hi vet nurse here , ask if they can do a fna -fine needle aspirate.
A needle attached to a syringe is put into mass and fluid /cells drawn off and put onto a glass slide and sent to the lab ,this may give a clear diagnosis but as with all tests some may not.
Its really quick and simple to do and some dogs don't mind you doing it .
If its just a cyst thats got a bit infected /inflamed see if you can clip fur from around it and bathe /keep clean with salt water or a little hibiscrub in water and it may settle down again .

Thanks so much. I will ask if they will do that.

I forgot to add a photo....

That looks like a ruptured sebaceous cyst. Basically a big zit. I agree with the VN above re a FNA but the chances of it being cancerous are vanishingly small. I've been a VN since 1981 and I can count on the fingers of one hand how many times I've seen lumps in dogs skin being cancer (unless it's a boxer, in which case all bets are off). Mammary glands yes but skin - so very rare. If push comes to shove, maybe profound sedation and local anaesthetic by a surgeon that doesn't take ages to do stuff and job done.

Thanks so much for replying! That is reassuring to hear. My instinct is not to mess around too much with an otherwise healthy, old dog if it can be avoided.