My Chihuahua has a head lump. Is surgery safe? What are the risks?

It is impossible to say definitively thwt the lumps are benign without examining and aspirating the masses. If we obtain cells from the lump and they are non-cancerous, I would not be concerned. However, even benign lumps can cause issues if they become ulcerated or continue to grow. Discuss removal vs. aspirated with your veterinarian.

I am assuming that your vet did a needle aspirate and wasn't able to get a diagnosis. The only way to know the cause of the lumps would be to remove them and submit to a lab for biopsy. As long as he is otherwise healthy then the risk of anesthesia is low. If he needs a dental cleaning then your vet could do both at the same time. If you don't want to have them removed then you could monitor for a month or so and see how the lumps change. If they are growing then they really should be removed.

At three years of age, the chance of a bump being something serious like cancer would be rare but there is always a chance. It could also be that Chicharito has a benign tumor. Any suspicious bumps should be examined by the vet. The vet can perform a test called a fine needle aspirate on it. To do this, the vet sticks a small needle into the bump to get a sample of it's cells, and examines the cells on a slide under a microscope. It's usually painless to the animal, and relatively quick to perform. I'd make an appointment for him to be seen by the vet sometime in the next week. Best of luck, I hope this helps.

The lump looks like it may be a possible skin growth or even abscess (infection under the skin). Skin growths tend to be benign, however it is best to have the area looked at by your vet. Your vet can likely take a sample of the area without sedation/anesthesia for testing to see what treatment (if any) needs to be done. Your vet can also examine Luke and perform any bloodwork if needed to determine if it would be safe to remove the lump under anesthesia, if needed.

I am so sorry that you are exeoeriencing these problems with Wiggles I am sure it's very upsetting. Because mammary tumours are Hormone linked I would advise spaying her when she has the tumours removed. The last thing you would want is for Wiggles to have another mammary tumour in the future and therefore another surgery. For anaesthetics for older dogs many precautions are taken. Your veterinarian will discuss these with you to help put your mind at ease. They include blood pressure monitoring and intravenous fluid treatment before, during and after the surgery. I believe this is the best course of action and I send you the best of luck.

This looks like a decent sized mass. It could be benign and nothing to worry about or it could be malignant. I would talk to your vet and ask them to get a sample to look at it under the microscope to ensure it doesn't need to be surgically removed. I hope this helps.

I'm sorry that Chip's mass is starting to bother him. I typically recommend removing these masses for the reasons you listed above (growing and bothering the patient). If he will already be under anesthesia for another surgery, this can be a convenient time to have it done. Discuss it with your veteriarian, but I think it will make Chip more comfortable and save him from going under anesthesia a second time. Good luck!