Poss OP for dog, but not keen - any input?

dora37

Hi,

I would just like to share our situation with others to see another perspective.

We got a rescue dog in February she is 8 yrs old and a poss JRT cross. She is a lovely quiet dog (apart from when the door bell rings!), but does suffer from separation anxiety ie me and OH have our own little stalker!

Pretty much from when we got her she has suffered with a skin complaint - constantly licking, scratching and biting making her skin red and sore. With a combination of steriods, controlled diet, antibiotics, medicated shampoo, Piriton and Primrose Oil we seem to be just getting it under control.

We were also told on our inital visit to the vets that she had lumps on and in her mammaries that would have to be investigated at a later date.

The vet today says that now the skin is becoming under control we should be considering in the near future about removing these lumps.

Now here is our quandry - these lumps won't be tested, so could be harmless. However it would take a major operation in which all the lumps would be removed.

We do not really want to put her through this - she is 8 yrs old, we have no history on her and when we took her in just wanted to give her a nice life for the rest of her days. If we didn't put her through this op, would we be doing the wrong thing? But also we could put her through it needlessly if the lumps are harmless.

Incidentally when we got her in February from the RSPCA she was given a clean bill of health:eek:

Sorry for the long post!

Bromley86

I'd have thought that that's a tough one to give you advice over as you've already had advice from a qualified professional. Trusting your vet or going to another for a second opinion seem to me to be your only real options.

Hope it all works out for you.

orlao

Hi

By the sounds of things you done wonders with this little dog in a very short time, I did laugh at the description of your own little stalker:D

As far as the lumps are concerned could you ask your vet to take a biopsy of them to see whether they are benign or not which would give you a little more info to base your decision on?

TBH, 8 is not old for a terrier type....I have a 17 year old JRT who is still going strong, she has a couple of cysts on her back which don't bother her and last year, in conjuction with my vet decided not to put her through an op due to her age and the risks of anesthetic......but if she was younger I would probably go ahead with the op.

Have you spoken to your vet and explained how you feel? Asked them what are the possible consquences(sp!) of not removing the lumps? Maybe ask for a 2nd opinion?

IMHO, you can't make a decision unless you have a bit more info but most dogs recover from what we would consider major surgery really quickly. Usually keeping them quiet is the biggest problem but if she's "stalking" you you should find tha easier than most.

Good Luck whatever you decide.

dora37

orlao wrote: »

Hi

By the sounds of things you done wonders with this little dog in a very short time, I did laugh at the description of your own little stalker:D

As far as the lumps are concerned could you ask your vet to take a biopsy of them to see whether they are benign or not which would give you a little more info to base your decision on?

TBH, 8 is not old for a terrier type....I have a 17 year old JRT who is still going strong, she has a couple of cysts on her back which don't bother her and last year, in conjuction with my vet decided not to put her through an op due to her age and the risks of anesthetic......but if she was younger I would probably go ahead with the op.

Have you spoken to your vet and explained how you feel? Asked them what are the possible consquences(sp!) of not removing the lumps? Maybe ask for a 2nd opinion?

IMHO, you can't make a decision unless you have a bit more info but most dogs recover from what we would consider major surgery really quickly. Usually keeping them quiet is the biggest problem but if she's "stalking" you you should find tha easier than most.

Good Luck whatever you decide.

For some reason (I wasn't there - OH was) these types of lumps (I think the internal ones) can't be tested.

We will talk to the vet again as this was really the first time it has been mentioned in detail and obviously get some more facts - just wanted a 'normal' persons perspective!:D

Raksha

8 really isn't old (unless she's had a really really tough start to her life, in which case a blood test will show any potential problems, most vets do this before an op anyway, as they can then tailor the anesthetic to suit the animal)

My own Collie x BC had some lumps removed ('total' mastectomy and spey) 7 years ago when she was 9, and she had a couple more removed late last year (just after her 15th birthday). Obviously at that sort of age, she's not going to bounce back quite so quickly as a 'young 'un' but both times it certainly gave her a new lease of life - she's known as the Duracell Bunny at home....... The second time I was really dreading it, and she was quite miserable, but she can still gallop in from the garden (and I do mean GALLOP! And she hurdles the back doorstep like Desert Orchid some days!) I do actually now regret not getting that second op done sooner.......

Only you know your dog, and whilst you haven't had her long enough to know how well she might be otherwise, I'd say at her age, it's well worth giving her a chance if she was my dog.

dora37

:T Thanks for replies so far - certainly food for thought and great to hear others perspective on this.

Penny_Watcher

My big LabX has had 3 major ops in the last 4 weeks (complications of a wound over his rib cage). He's only 2 1/2, but apart from the evening after the ops he's back to his 'normal' idiot self by the next day.

I think you have 4 options.

• Do nothing. The lumps are cancerous and she looses her life.
• Have the op. The lumps are cancerous and you've saved her life.
• Do nothing. The lumps are not cancerous but maybe causing discomfort, but she's ok.
• Have the op. The lumps are not cancerous, but she's put though some discomfort for a short while until she heals.

I think all in all if she were my dog I'd let her have the op. If you put yourself in the same position - if you had unidentified lumps in your breasts what would you do?

Wishing you the very best of luck making your decision.