Ulcerating growth and blood tests

[Missingmyusername]

My Lab is almost 13, he has had a wart for around two years (vet said leave it) but overnight it’s quadrupled in size and changed in appearance and there is discharge. It looks like mostly water, but it stains his bedding. It looks like a testicle, hanging from his chest. It’s awful, but he seems oblivious.

I’ve taken him to the vet and they’ve said he needs an op to remove it, but it wasn’t urgent. He has arthritis but otherwise is healthy and strong enough to withstand an op. Eating, drinking etc as normal. No weight loss. No vomiting, nothing.

It’s now bank holiday and I’m pretty sure he’s emitting a bit of a smell. I’ll ring the vet tomorrow and hope they can hasten the op.

The vet wants to carry out blood test at the time of the operation, I didn’t think to ask why. Is it because they’re looking for cancer? It’s playing on my mind, hence the post. I can ask them in the morning but I know they’ll be busy. I don’t want to put him through an op only to find out he has cancer.

Here is lump. Which went from the size of a finger tip to this over the duration of around 48 hours. Anyone seen anything like this?! I have marked it as sensitive. It is not causing him pain and it is coming off soon!

It's normal to take blood tests before a general anaesthetic, particularly in an older dog. That's to check that the kidneys and liver are working properly. If they aren't, it can effect how they process and break down the anaesthetic drugs.

I've always been asked if I want bloods before. Once my dogs have got older it's not been so much an ask as a 'you should'.

Thanks. That doesn’t really make sense though as they are taking bloods and doing the operation immediately afterwards. Surely they won’t get the results immediately? I’m taking him in at 8.30 and bringing him home at 1pm. Vet also said bloods are optional, which I thought was strange.

Mine has the option of taking bloods prior to an operation and they also suggest they should be done after age of 7 anyway for the same reasons the PP have above. And yes they have the facilities to analyse them immediately before proceeding with the operation.

Hope your boy is ok.

Vets are much more efficient than doctors - they’ll have a machine round the back to analyse them then and there.

Hmmm ok thanks, I’ll ring the vet today and ask.

Woke up this morning and he absolutely stinks to high heaven, so I want the op sooner than in two weeks ideally. 😫

He’s had bloods before and they took over a week to come back. I don’t think it was a standard blood test, they called it a screen (I think). Cost £600 in total so I don’t think it was a standard test.

I’ve just picked up antibiotics, asked about bloods and they do have to send them off. So after I’ve spent £1300 on removing the growth they’ll tell me if he has kidney or liver failure. Not sure if I want to know.

He’s booked in for the op next week.

Thank you @BiteyShark me too.