My dog has a benign tumor. Should I get it surgically removed?

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!

This tumor will not go away on its own. I agree, it is located in an area that would make removal very difficult. If you wanted to remove the tumor at this point the only way would be to do an amputation of the forelimb.

I'm sorry that Foofie has a tumor! Given that she is very active and if she is otherwise healthy, I see no reason why the tumor can't be removed. The growth of this tumor is affecting her teeth, and it could affect them to the point she has difficulty eating. Not eating would lead her to be very weak and sick, and you want to avoid that. You can have the first vet doing a geriatric blood panel and urinalysis to see how her organs are functioning overall, which would give an idea of how she would fair under anesthesia for the tumor removal. Personally if it were my dog, I would have it removed, but that's me. I would have another conversation with the first vet. Good luck, I hope this helps!

There's no need to remove lipomas unless they are bothering the dog in some way. Dogs who have lipomas are prone to developing others, and it will be very important to have any new lump checked out to make sure it is a lipoma and not cancerous. As long as it's not hurting her and it's not overly large, I personally see no need to remove it.

If your vet recommends removing the growth, it's likely a good idea. In a senior dog like Cookie, there is always a chance it could be cancer, which is why it's ideal to remove it to prevent it from spreading. If the growth is cut out with wide margins and the cancer hasn't already spread, it is possible that it can be cured completely without further treatment. The vet will do everything they can to remove the tumor fully, and I would imagine they would let you know if there was a concern that it couldn't be removed completely or if she wouldn't heal properly. I do advocate for removing growths in a senior dog especially if there is a concern it's cancer, but I highly recommend speaking to your vet about your concerns. Having an in-depth conversation with them may help allay your worries. I hope this helps!

I agree with Dr. Botinas. Histiocytomas are very common in dogs this age and since she had one previously it is likely this is one as well. This one does look pretty advanced though and "angry". I think this should be surgically removed and sent to the lab for a histopathology as well. If you don't believe this is a histiocytoma then it is especially important to have it removed because the other options for tumors it could be are not good....... Changing the diet is not likely to help. If it is a histiocytoma usually they regress on their own within 3 months. If you keep bothering them it makes them "angry" and they will increase in size. I suggest you leave it alone if you are not going to have it surgically removed. If it does not regress then you can have surgery done at that time. The only supplement I would suggest is an immune boosting supplement. ( https://www.allivet.com/p-1542-vetri-science-vetri-dmg-liquid-for-dogs-cats.aspx ) Here is more information on histiocytomas. ( https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4952066 ) Hope this helps. Best wishes.

These are quite common in older pets. Most of these sebaceous gland tumors/cysts are benign (non-cancerous); however, they can grow and cause pets irritation, which can lead to ulcerations and infection. I would consider having it removed surgically if it seems problematic for June. Thanks for visiting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and I hope that everything works out well for your pet June. Take care!