My Morkie has mammary tumors. Is surgery safe? Should I spay her?

To be completely honest, having her spayed at this point of her life will not prevent future tumors but it can prevent pyometra (uterine infection), the tumors do need to be removed surgically though as they tend to grow and ulcerate at some point and the dog can no longer live this way, having them removed often solves the problem.

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.

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.

Unfortunately mammary tumors are very common in unspayed dogs, and 50% of them are malignant. The prognosis depends on whether or not the tumor is malignant or not, and if it has spread. Given that it's growing, removing it would be best as well as spaying Lilly in my opinion (spaying her prevents her from developing a pyometra). The vet doing the surgery can submit the removed lump to a lab to determine if it's malignant or not, and likely will submit local lymph nodes to see if the cancer has spread there. That should give a prognosis as to life expectancy for her. I'm sorry you are going through this, and in the future, I strongly recommend to not listen to a groomer about veterinary medicine. They are not trained in veterinary medicine, and really should not be giving advice on lumps. Any suspicious lump should always be checked out by a vet promptly. Best of luck, I hope this helps!

Spaying her may not significantly decrease her risk of developing mammary gland tumors at this age, but it would definitely prevent a pyometra in the future. If her blood work is normal and her physical exam is "clear", she should be spayed. Your vet can tailor an anesthetic protocol taking Miny's age into consideration.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! That is certainly possible and recommended. Age is not necessarily a contraindication to surgery if they are being careful with the anesthesia. Keep in mind that most dogs that develop mammary tumors are older and have surgery and do fine. Best of luck!

I know how stressful surgery can be. It is true that spaying your pets will prevent any future pyometra event. This is key to your pets health moving forward. I think that the pros outweigh the cons when you are considering spaying your fur babies. As long as their bloodwork looks good, your vet is experienced spaying older pets, and your vet has a safe senior protocol to use for the pre-anesthetic drugs (i.e. Midazolam + Butorphanol), then they will have minimal risks involved with surgery. Best wishes with your fur babies moving forward and I hope that their surgeries go as planned with no complications. Take care!