My 15-year-old dog has an enlarged testicle. Will it shorten his life?

this could be cancerous but could also be a testicular infection or inflammation. At 14 he can safely be castrated if he is healthy. Your veterinarian will examine your dog pre-surgery and determine whether it is safe to give him anesthesia for the surgery.

Yes, it will probably kill him faster than he would naturally live, i would recommend having him neutered urgently, often this cancer is not metastasizing to other organs too fast and it could be a complete cure.

Poor Oscar! His scrotum does look quite swollen and sore. Yes, unfortunately this could definitely be caused by testicular cancer, as this is a fairly common problem in older intact male dogs. He could also have an infection of the scrotum or testicles causing this swelling. I would recommend taking him to the vet to have this checked as soon as you are able to. He/she can take a biopsy if needed to help determine exactly what's going on, and may recommend surgical removal if cancer is suspected.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I’m sorry to hear Cutler isn’t feeling well. Without seeing him it’s very hard to say what’s going on and how to treat him. I do recommend he is seen by a vet to determine what’s going on. Being an older, intact male, I would be worried about something going on in his testicles or prostate. In the meantime, you could try applying a cold compress to his scrotum for 10-15 minutes a few times today to see if that helps with the swelling. After 24 hours, I would switch to a warm compress (not hot). If that doesn’t improve, I would recommend an exam. Good luck and kisses to Cutler!

Unfortunately it's impossible to say without being able to examine Bruno in person. A testicular tumor could swell and cause an increase in size that could resolves with an antibiotic or steroid injection. Infections like Brucella or other bacteria could cause testicular swelling. I would recommend having a veterinarian examine Bruno to determine what might be the cause.

Hi, This is Dr. Johnson. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Mickel is a very cute guy! My biggest concern for an intact older male dog with enlarged nipples and hair loss is a testicular tumor that is producing hormones. The hair loss could be from other things (a mite, a skin infection, etc). My recommendation is that Mickel see your Veterinarian to confirm and consider having him neutered. I wish you and Mickel the best!

This depends on whether the mass is on the scrotal skin or actually on the testicle itself. If a tumor is on the testicle then the whole testicle should be removed. If it is on the skin then the testicle does not need to be removed, but sometimes this is a hard area to perform a wide excision without removing the whole scrotum. Your dog is very young, has this mass been confirmed as a tumor by non invasive means first, like a needle aspirate? Given the age investigating in a non invasive way prior to any invasive treatment is recommended. As well, if a tumor is diagnosed, then staging to make sure there is no spread would be important prior to surgery. Also, if your pet does have a tumor then breeding a pet with a history of a tumor is not recommended. Consultation with a boarded veterinary oncologist and/or boarded veterinary surgeon in your area may be helpful before making a final treatment plan. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!