My old dog's enlarged prostate: Vet suggests removal. Second opinion?

Hi, an enlarged prostate is very very very common in unneutered dogs, one study demonstrated that over 80% of entire male dogs over the age of 5 are affected and 100% over the age of 8 have some degree of benign hyperplasia.I don’t think biopsies are compulsory, I would personally opt to have it treated as benign hyperplasia either through castration or through medical management, i.e. an anti-androgen injection that determines a reduction in prostate size of 40 % within two weeks and lasts an average of 5-6 months. The vomiting and diarrhoea is probably not linked to the prostate, and I would first try to help Harvey with this problem and then think about his prostate that has probably been enlarged for a while. Hope this helps.

Poor Alf! Studies have shown that neutering does not provide any protective effects against prostate cancer in dogs - in fact, neutered males have a slightly higher incidence of this disease than intact males. So I'm not quite sure about the reasoning for having him castrated, unless what your veterinarian meant was that Alf has prostatic cysts or benign prostatic enlargement - both of these things would be expected to improve with neutering. It would help to know exactly what diagnostics have been done and what the results were in order to give more specific advice - feel free to request a consultation with one of us if you want to upload copies of his lab reports and medical records for us to look at. Otherwise, if you're unsure about your current vet's recommendations, I would suggest going to another local vet for a second opinion, or requesting referral to a specialist for further evaluation.

Poor Bob! This is likely benign prostatic hyperplasia. Unfortunately, the best treatment is to neuter him. You can ask your vet to prescribe him some anti-inflammatories to see if this helps but sometimes it doesn't work. For dogs used for breeding, there is also a product called finasteride to help treat this but I am not very familiar with this drug so I would talk to your vet in more detail about whether it would be safe for Bob. I will attach an article below. Also, sometimes drugs will work temporarily but eventually the problem comes back. I would also make sure the vet checked his urine to ensure he doesn't have an infection in his urine. Finally, if your vet thinks his prostate is painful, he may have a prostatitis which will require antibiotics. I hope this helps! http://www.merckvetmanual.com/reproductive-system/prostatic-diseases/benign-prostatic-hyperplasia-in-small-animals

Unfortunately prostate problems are very common in intact male dogs, and there is a chance he could have prostate cancer. Without seeing Cooper in person, I can't say for sure what his chances are that it's cancer, but it certainly would be a differential for me in in a senior, intact dog. Dogs are also very stoic about pain and illness, and a lot of times they are quite ill before showing any outward signs. That means they can be acting fine one day, and then be quite ill the next day. Keep in mind as well that just because you don't see visible blood in his urine, it doesn't mean blood isn't present in microscopic amounts. The next steps would be a urine analysis, abdominal x-rays and/or ultrasound to visualize the prostate, and a prostate biopsy. These tests will help confirm if Cooper has cancer, and I would speak to your vet about doing them. I hope this helps!

Hello. I am so sorry for your worries with Biggi. Please do not be afraid of the surgery to neuter him. It may not take care of all his problems with the prostrate gland, but may help. As long as Biggi is in good health as evidenced by normal blood work, has no obvious cardiac or pulmonary problems, then neutering him should not put him in any danger. All surgery carries a small risk, but if you trust your veterinarian, Biggi should sail through the surgery. Thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Absolutely. Actually, neutering is one way to treat a prostate hyperplasia (enlarged prostate). It should not affect him negatively. His prostate should get smaller, and he will not have any more discharge from his prepuce. If your dog has an inflamed prostate, it still needs treatment with an antibiotic prescribed by your vet.

Sorry to hear this, it isvery promising that his bloods were good and dehydration alone can certainly make an animal feel very poorly. The prostate being enlarged could be a number of things. In uncastrated dogs the most common thing is enlargement due to hormones, however I see your dog is castrated. In this case enlargement could've due to a tumour but likewise could be an infection. I would suggest speaking to your vet about this as a biopsy would help to determine the exact nature of the enlargement and put your mind at rest. I think you need some more information before you can determine a prognosis.