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Original poster

Is there any point in taking a dog to the vets if they have lumps and you don't want any treatment?

55 replies

brimfull · 13/04/2008 13:24

she's 13,terrified of vets,always poos in the waiting room.
I think they'd probably want to biopsy them which I think os pointless really if we don't wnat any treatment.
She's not suffering any pain or discomfort from them at all.Two largish lumps.

OP posts:

ShinyPinkShoes · 13/04/2008 13:26

They could be something seroous though which you could get life lengthening treatment for.

Best to get her checked out no?

bran · 13/04/2008 14:15

Could you phone the vet and ask them for a tranquiliser for your dog in order to bring her in to see them?

CarGirl · 13/04/2008 14:19

I would take her (valium a good idea, or pay for home visit?) our cat had lumps it was probably cancer he had oral steroids (half a tablet a day???) he lived happily for a further 11 months.

oggsfrog · 13/04/2008 14:25

If she's had them a while and isn't in any pain then tbh I wouldn't bother.
Our 13 year old had a few lumps and bumps but as I knew we wouldn't go in for any treatmant we left her. You know your dog best and I'm sure if she was in pain you would know.

caspercat · 13/04/2008 14:47

Where are the lumps? How long have they been there, and are they fast or slow growing? My concern would be, if they are getting larger, surely you'll have to take her along at some point?? They could end up ulcerating & becoming painful and/or infected. However, if they've been there ages & are the same size they've always been, then it prob isn't worth it.
It's always worth asking the vets what they can do to make her visit less stressful, they should be used to requests like that. Good luck xx

Original poster

brimfull · 13/04/2008 15:50

sorry ,had to pop out.

I am almost sure they're not causing her any pain.

I'll keep an eye on them and see if they grow.

OP posts:

lucyellensmum · 13/04/2008 16:26

i would echo what casper said, keep an eye on them. I would be very wary of lumps behind the back legs and around the neck and get them checked out. If they are under the skin and fairly soft to the touch, chances are they are fatty lumps anyway - the vet would know pretty much straight away and would only want to biopsy if they were suspicious, which under those circs they would remove. They too would not want to do this to a 13yr old dog unless absolutely neccesary. All different things cause lumps and they dont all need surgery to diagnose. I do appreciate not wanting to take her, you can get a sedative but it doesnt always work (valium, i dont think works for dogs in that way - i could be wrong) and im not sure i would want to pay for a home visit for something like this.

Keep an eye on her and just ask the vet to check them when she has her annual booster. That way you wont get charged an extra consultation fee .

lucyellensmum · 13/04/2008 16:31

Also, check if the lumps are regular shapes, where they are is important too. If they are hard and lumpy as apposed to smooth and softer i would be worried enough to take her to the vets. Dogs are actually very good at hiding pain, but also, nasty things don't tend to be painful.

As for pooing in the waiting room, thats not a problem, the staff are used to that. Of course it is stressy for the dog but you could ask to be seen at a unbusy time and ask to wait outside and have someone come out and call you when it is your turn, if your vet is particularly nice then they might even come outside to look.

Nemoandthefishes · 13/04/2008 16:40

ggirl our dog developed lumps a couple of months ago and like yours is petrified of vets and is also already 16yrs old so we have left her. They are not hurting her and she is carrying on as normal.

Original poster

brimfull · 13/04/2008 19:11

Thanks for all your kind replies

The lumps are soft and squidgy,no real definition like an enclosed cyst would have .

She doesn't have boosters anymore but I will take her if they become bigger or she becomes uncomfortable.
This may sound awful but even if it is cancer I wouldn't want her to have any treatemnt.

OP posts:

NotABanana · 13/04/2008 19:32

I knew a dog that had a bump on his head. I think he got accidently hit. He ended up having a fit and having to be put down. It was so sad and my kids were crying (me too)

Sobernow · 13/04/2008 19:35

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

oiFoiF · 13/04/2008 19:37

the expense?

oiFoiF · 13/04/2008 19:38

not that I am saying I would leave my dogs but I do often wonder what i would do if they had cancer. Well do I wonder, I am not sure I do. It cost me £50 for an ear infection recently, money we dont have and I do love my dogs dearly

ILikeToMoveItMoveIt · 13/04/2008 19:39

Our 13 yo lab had fatty cysts over her tummy. Like your dog, she hated the vet and would poo in the waiting room.

We got the lumps checked out when we next went to the vets as we knew she wasn't in any pain and if it was something sinister we probably wouldn't have put her through the treatment.

muppetgirl · 13/04/2008 19:44

Vet history of our dogs
Dex, black lab, rescue dog.
You have to take him to poo before he goes, let him poo just outside and then be prepared for an enormous lot of poo inside the vets.

Stanley, Jack Russell, wees in his bed and sits in it.
He is so bad we have to muzzle him as we pull up just before he gets out of the car to go into the vets as he went for the vet whilst she was feeling for his 'lost' testicle (well, wouldn't you?) He spends his time in the waiting room trying to get the damn thing of no matter how tight you've put it on.

Funnily enough we took Dex to the vets yesterday as he has a largish lump on his back and hates it being touched (found it fri night)
The vet said he thinks it's a cyst but could do a biopsy of the lump but it's not 100% accurate anyway...

That cost us £25... and dh stood in dog poo in the waiting room (for once not our dog )

They both returned mightily pleased to be out of the vets...

chonky · 13/04/2008 19:44

Yep - my 13 year old collie x has lipomas (fatty lumps) - sounds similar to teh description of your dog. I guess take her if she appears to be in any discomfort, stops eating, drinking etc.

jenkel · 13/04/2008 19:45

I have a 18 year old cat and she has a lump about the size of a grape on her neck, its not causing her any pain, feels quite a fatty lump, I have taken her to the Vets for her boosters and mentioned it to him, he felt it and said he would check it out if we wanted him too, obviously he has no idea what it is without futher investigation but he did say that taking into account her age it is not something that he is really concerned about. So we are just watching it and as long as it doesnt seem to be bothering her we are going to leave it alone.

Sobernow · 13/04/2008 19:46

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

oiFoiF · 13/04/2008 19:49

well i do take my dogs to the vets as I said before but my one dog is quite elderly now (14) and I am not sure how much insurance will be and also whether I can afford it or not. The other dog is 6, so maybe it would be easier to get insurance for her?

I had the dogs before I knew how my life would pan out financially (I have had to become a full time carer)

ILikeToMoveItMoveIt · 13/04/2008 20:01

Not everyone can afford insurance, it does not mean people don't care.

Some people refuse treatment because they do care. Sometimes it's about what is best for that particular animal, rather than what the owner wants.

lucyellensmum · 13/04/2008 20:06

Maybe the dog is an "old" thirteen. My father had alzheimers and was diagnosed with lung cancer, the first thing i said when i heard the diagnosis is i dont want him treated!

To the OP, if they are fatty lumps they will be left, the dilemma if they are suspicious is that they could spread and something that could have been easily treated would turn into something horrible for the dog. You dont say where the lumps are. Maybe you could telephone the surgery see what they advise, tell them you would be reluctant to go ahead with surgery. If you are worried aboutthe issues of surgery in an oldish dogs, there are lots of tests that can highlight any potential anaesthetic problems and they use the absolutely best anaesthesia which pose a minimum risk and most dogs bound up to their owners after an op. much to the owners surprise Your call, your dog, i totally understand your concerns.

Thing is, for some dogs, 13 is ancient and would be wrong to put through treatment, for others, especially crossbreeds that is not so old iyswim.

caspercat · 13/04/2008 20:07

oiFoiF, i doubt very much you'd be able to get insurance for your older dog, but there are several companies that would take your 6 yr old. Just check the small print!!
Pets can be such an expense, and i know it's a common problem that financial situations can change that you weren't prepared for. Unfortunately, that's why insurance is so important, so that if your pets are ill and money is tight, insurance will cover for most problems. But, hindsight is a wonderful thing (sigh).
But i would def recommend Pet Insurance if at all possible - vets bills can be so high these days (because the care & possibilities are so much more advanced now, NOT just for the sake of it).
Sorry if sounding preachy, it's just there are so many threads on here at the mo where people are worried about vets bills & sometimes avoid going to the vet, and it saddens me cos it could be avoidable (often times)

lucyellensmum · 13/04/2008 20:09

oifoif, i dont think you would find a company willing to insure a 14 year old doggie. If you are on benefits you might be able to get treatment under the PDSA. Some places do offer low cost surgeries for those in need of it, might be worth looking into, i think you have to register with the PDSA prior to treatment.

Original poster

brimfull · 13/04/2008 20:11

sobernow-she is old,she would hate all the treatment,she would be happier just being allowed to die with management of her pain if she gets any.

She was insured when she was younger,has had everything under the sun and is no longer insurable .

I do have her best interests at heart despite what you seem to think.

OP posts:

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