Should my 7-year-old dog get surgery for an abdominal tumor?

A testicular tumor will need to be removed surgically by a veterinarian. This is a relatively simple procedure, usually achieved by castration. Re the mass at the belly button: This may be an umbilical hernia which can be fixed at the same time as the tumor is removed. If you gently press on the mass and it can be pushed back into the abdomen, it is a hernia. Both of these conditions need to be fixed surgically.

It depends on the kind of tumor we are dealing with. Some tumors are fast growing and can shorten the pets lifespan if not treated in some manner, while others (i.e. lipomas) are not cancerous and don't affect the pets lifespan at all. The first step is to get the tumor properly identified through your vet with proper sampling, then you will have the information you need to decide whether surgical removal should be pursued or not. I hope that Sammy's tumor is benign and nothing to worry about. Best wishes and take care!

IF the mass is located on an organ that is safe to remove, then good. If it is attached to the spleen or uterus, those can be safely removed and dogs recover well and live comfortable without those parts. However, it should be sent off for analysis to see if it is cancer or not as that can affect the time and quality of life after. If the mass is attached to the stomach or liver, then it may not be able to be removed and you will be forced to make the decision to not wake her up from the surgery or wake her up and let her live a comfortable life for however amount of time that may be.

I am so sorry to hear of your dog. I think this is a personal decision and there is no right or wrong answer. Some part of the decision may be financial, as surgery and aftercare can be quite costly and with a low chance of successful outcome then this must be considered. We wouldn't want someone to take money they need to pay their rent to attempt a surgery with a low success rate. That being said, you may be in a financial position where this isn't a concern. Then I would discuss with the vet what quality of life is expected to be if surgery is successful. If chemotherapy or other treatment might be required and the side effects/cost of this. You must also realize that if the surgery is unsuccessful then your dog's final days may be in a hospital instead of at home. If you are not ready to say goodbye or give up, however, then surgery may be the way to go. It is a very personal decision.

I'm sorry Simba has a lump on his tail! I do recommend following your vet's assessment and having it removed. If it is cancer, you do want it taken it off his tail to prevent any chance of it spreading. Eleven isn't very old, and doing this surgery may help extend his life another couple of years. Old age isn't a disease, and your vet wouldn't recommend surgery if they didn't feel it wasn't a safe option for him. In my opinion, I would do the surgery. Good luck, I hope this helps!

Assuming Kara is in good health otherwise - which should be established with blood work and x-rays of the chest, to ensure that the tumor hasn't metastasized - then I would recommend proceeding with surgery. Mammary tumors can be quite invasive and aggressive, but depending on the grade surgery can be curative. Just because a dog is old, it doesn't necessarily mean they can't have anesthesia - you just have to take precautions, and find a vet who is capable of taking special care. I would also get a definitive diagnosis as to what the mass is before making any decisions, There are lots of benign lumps that grow all over dogs' bodies, and just because this one is in the mammary area, it isn't necessarily an aggressive cancer. A fine needle aspiration biopsy can usually tell you what these are.

I think it's worth doing the surgery to see if it is anything serious. Removing it may improve MJ's quality of life if it is cancerous. Doing this doesn't necessarily mean she needs radiation, you can make that decision depending on the results of the biopsy. Her quality of life will go down if she can't urinate because of it, so I do think removing it would be a good idea. I hope this helps!