Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Pets

Join our community on the Pet forum to discuss anything related to pets.

Flip

Original poster

Please can you come and wish me and my old dog luck, trip to the vets later :0(

25 replies

WhereTheWildThingsWere · 06/03/2009 10:02

Recently my dog has developed several large lumps, the vet said we didn't have to worry unless they started growing quickly, which they now have and they are obviously causing him pain.

I have made an appointment for this evening and I am dreading what they are going to say, I have had him for nearly 10 years and it is his birthday on Tuesday.

Feel so sad and worried, I really want it too be something innocent and for him to be ok.

OP posts:

oggsdog · 06/03/2009 10:11

Fingers crossed for a good outcome and an easing of pain for your dog.

MaryAnnSingleton · 06/03/2009 10:13

fingers crossed here for poor boy xx

bella29 · 06/03/2009 10:27

Keeping everything crossed for you both.

Very best of luck x

Original poster

WhereTheWildThingsWere · 06/03/2009 10:36

Thank you all, just want to take him now, the waiting is horrible, I feel like I can't look him in the eye.

OP posts:

BabyValentine · 06/03/2009 10:37

I have to say that it doesn't sound good

Our dog died on her 10th birthday in 2007 so I know how heartbreaking it is...

bella29 · 06/03/2009 10:39

Can you take him for a nice walk in one of his favourite places?

Waiting is terrible, I know.

wannaBe · 06/03/2009 10:43

sounds horrible. I have a 14 year old lab who seems to be getting older by the minute and I'm dreading what I know is iminent.

Original poster

WhereTheWildThingsWere · 06/03/2009 10:48

Bella I am going to take him for a walk this aternoon, it's lovely and sunny here, he's just got quite stiff very quickly so I don't ant to walk him too far.

OP posts:

bella29 · 06/03/2009 10:51

Snuggle up on the sofa with him then

Hotcrossbunny · 06/03/2009 10:56

this is the hardest part of owning a pet isn't it?

Quick question - do the lumps move about? can you get your fingers round them IYSWIM? Our 10 year old dog is a lump maker. He is now riddled with them and they've stopped trying to remove them as most of them have just been fatty lumps, but they're really fast growing, so I can imagine he will become a bit incapacitated by them eventually. Anyway I think the vets are usually more optimistic if the lumps move around a bit....

Sending you and doggle a big hug and will be thinking about you tonight. xxx

Original poster

WhereTheWildThingsWere · 06/03/2009 11:09

Hotcrossbunny, some of the ones he's had for ages are quite moveable and obviously don't bother him, but one in particular of the new ones, seems very hard and fixed, and it hurts him alot when I touch it so it's hard to tell.

OP posts:

bella29 · 06/03/2009 11:18

It could just be a cyst, but I'm not a vet and I don't want to raise your hopes.

My old girl has lumps and bumps which are benign but it is awful when you realise they're getting old.

Should be here most of the day to offer support (and my usual gibberish)

FairMidden · 06/03/2009 13:35

In an older dog the main thing is quality of life. So if a lump is bothering him and he is otherwise well the vet might well be able to remove it. I realise you can't help but worry - that's natural - but it isn't always doom and gloom. Please try not to fret too much

Original poster

WhereTheWildThingsWere · 06/03/2009 16:54

Thank FairMidden, I'm taking him in an hour, trying not to worry, it's so hard not to think the worst, crossing everything that it will be nothing to worry about.

OP posts:

Hotcrossbunny · 06/03/2009 22:42

How did your visit to the vets go? We're all thinking of you.

MargaretMountford · 06/03/2009 22:45

yes, really hope all ok

Original poster

WhereTheWildThingsWere · 07/03/2009 08:50

Thanks very much for your concern guys.

It was all a bit inconclusive really, and I'm not sure what to do. The vet thinks that most of his lumps are just fatty deposits and so are nothing to worry about, she is however, concerned about the one that I didn't like the look of, as it appears to be quite fixed and is obviously causing him some discomfort.

She has suggested that she could remove all his lumps, just that one, or do nothing at all, when I asked what would be best she was very non-commital saying that in a dog of his age (10) the anesthetic does pose a risk, but that leaving the lump may not be a good idea.

I think I am probably going to go with the surgery, as the lump is where his hip joins his body iyswim, and I have no idea if walking or indeed lying on it would be causing him pain as he certainly doesn't like it being touched.

It's so hard making the decision for them though, I want to tell him the pro's and con's and let him decide, what if he dies under the anesthetic and the lump proves to be nothing? What if I leave it and he gets really sick?

Any advice would be gratefully recieved.

OP posts:

MargaretMountford · 07/03/2009 08:53

fwiw, I'd go with the surgery on the suspicious lump and leave the others..think it'd be worth the slight risk - if that's any help ? Really hope he is ok,will be thinking of him.

bella29 · 07/03/2009 09:03

I'd do the same - have the surgery on the suspicious lump. His age does make him a higher risk (than a younger dog) but if he's generally fit and healthy he should be okay. My old girl has had 3 anaesthetics in the last year and she's 11.

The vet can do a pre-anaesthetic blood test (costs vary - maybe about £40) to identify anything like liver or kidney problems which would make the anaesthetic even riskier.

HTH

bella29 · 07/03/2009 09:07

And forgot to say - while he is under the anaesthetic they would be able to put a needle into the other lumps and draw out a sample of them to get an idea of whether they are just fat.

wannaBe · 07/03/2009 15:43

I would go with the surgery. I have a 14 year old dog who has recently had surgery to remove a lump and she is fine. A friend who is a vet nurse said that it's not so much the risk of dying but the risk of damage to liver/kidneys under anesthetic when they are older, but the vet would be able to do bloods to check all is well before subjecting him to an anesthetic.

Once the lump has been removed they will be able to tell you what it is which in turn will enable you to make more definite decisions about his future.

Good luck.

Original poster

WhereTheWildThingsWere · 07/03/2009 15:46

Thanks I guess that's what I have decided, I have pet insurance so I will get the blood tests done pre-op. Really hope he's ok.

OP posts:

Hotcrossbunny · 07/03/2009 16:01

I'd have the op too. Then at least you know what you're facing. Our nearly 11 year old recently had an anaesthetic no problem at all and it gave us the diagnosis we needed. If it's good news then relief, bad news then you can work out a plan of action...

BTW our dog had a malignant lump removed about 8 years ago, each lump thereafter has been benign....

thirtysomething · 07/03/2009 16:14

Not sure if the same with cats but I remember my mum had a cat who sprouted a lump on her belly that wouldn't move etc and clearly hurt a bit. Turned out to be a tumour which was all removed in the op and she lived another 4 years after that (till she was 16). Had another lump a year or so later; also removed and turned out benign. Would definitely err on the side of caution and have it whipped off and analysed. If it is nasty, likelihood is you've spotted it v. early from what you say. Good luck and paws crossed for your dog.

FairMidden · 07/03/2009 22:33

I agree that removing the painful lump is for the best. As Bella has sensibly suggested, your vet will be able to perform FNAs (basically a tiny biopsy) on each fatty lump to confirm that is what they are.

It's also important to remember that when we are talking about anaesthetic risks, it is a relative risk. When we say "high risk", it doesn't mean the dog is actually likely to die or become ill as a result of the anaesthetic - it just means that it is a bit more likely than it would be in a young animal. In an otherwise healthy dog, the risk of something going wrong is still fairly small even at 10 years of age. It is very uncommon for animals to die under anaesthetic these days due to modern drugs and good monitoring. The blood tests will give you peace of mind too.

Let us know how you get on

Flip