My dog has a mammary tumor. Is it safe to delay surgery for 5 weeks?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! 2 weeks is generally not too long to wait. I recommend you keep a close eye on the mass. If it appears to be getting significantly larger before your surgery appointment, have Lucky evaluated sooner. Otherwise, this should be ok. Good luck and have a great day!

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.

This definitely cannot wait until the 23rd but she could probably wait until the 16th if your vet is doing the surgery that day. until then it's mainly a case of keeping the ulcerated tumor clean as much as possible, if necessary it is possible to bandage the area as well with special dressing. if it is bleeding profusely you will need to take her to an emergency center today.

I'm sorry that it appears Richie has mammary tumors! Yes you do need to removed these tumors as soon as possible to prevent spread. In dogs with mammary tumors, 50% of them are malignant and will spread to local lymph nodes. They should be removed and the vet will check the local lymph nodes to see if any cancer has spread there. If it has spread, then the local lymph nodes will need to be removed as well. I hope this helps!

As she is unspayed it's very likely a primary tumor of the mammary gland, it's not possible to know if it has already sent metastases to other places in the body though. the recommendation is to get it removed surgically ASAP.

Yes, it is most likely mammary (breast) cancer. Very common to happen in dogs that are not spayed. That is why we recommended spaying dogs early in life. 1. I suggest you find a vet that will do both surgeries at once. There is no sense in doing two surgeries a month apart. They can both be done safely at the same time in most cases. She may be one of those cases that the mass is extensive and that is why your vet does not want to do them at the same time. I don't know since I have not examined her myself but in most cases I would do both surgeries together. Just my opinion. 2. You need to get her spayed, even at 8 years old. If you don't, then she may end up with more mammary tumors or a pyometra or she may pass away. Yes, a blood test before the spay is indicated absolutely. 3. It should not change her much. If you don't do it then she can certainly die just like a person with breast cancer so you really have no option but to have it done. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

It sounds as if your vet is concerned that your dog has a malignant tumor, most likely squamous cell carcinoma. If there is suspicion about the malignancy of a tumor the best course of action is to have it removed. I can understand your concerns about Dahlia undergoing surgery but it would be safer and easier to remove it now, while it is smaller, then it would be if it was left to continue to grow. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.