WWYD?

[MarcoPoloCX]

My dog is 13 years old.
He’s been losing weight the last few months. Appetite smaller than before and some mornings bringing up bile because of empty stomach.

He was 17.5kg at the start of the year and now about 16.3kg.

Blood works came back all fine.

Had ultra sound scan.
Vet said an enlarged spleen and a mass around the large intestine near the bladder. There is also some inflammation.
Can’t determine if cancerous unless they do an op.

He is still full of life and doesn’t seem to he in pain … he just bringing up bile on some mornings and not eating as much as he should.

I am in two minds about going for the op and have the mass removed and tested, mainly due to his age.
And if the mass is non cancerous, he would have been put under for no reason.

The other option would be to prescribed anti inflammatory and painkillers.

Sorry to hear this. I think I would go for the conservative management approach and see how you get on. I don’t think I would put him through an operation at his age, particularly as the outcome is unlikely to be favourable if it’s cancerous anyway x

An enlarged spleen means there is less room in the abdomen and so his stomach shrinks to one side. Less room in his stomach , so he will have reduced appetite and loses weight.

My Lab was 11 when he has the operation but I think at 13 I would have gone down the conservative route. My dog's mass turned out to be non-cancerous and hadn't spread and he lived for another four years.

You will make the right decision for your dear dog.

He had the whole spleen removed?

Yes, he did. It was 3.5kg! If it had spread to the liver the vet would have PTS on the operating table.