My old dog has a leaking lump. Should I consider euthanasia now?

This is an extremely difficult decision to make. I always try to look at a dog's quality of life to determine if they are still able to do most of the things they've always loved. If they are unable to do half of their favorite things, it is likely that their overall quality of life has declined and euthanasia may be warranted. Since your dog is currently eating, drinking, acting and playing normally, it does not sound as though her time has come. However, since one of her masses ruptured, there is a chance that it could become infected. Ideally, the mass would be surgically removed and biopsied. If surgery is not an option, she may need a course of antibiotics to prevent the onset of infection in the open lesion. If the open mass continues to bleed or begins to cause discomfort, you may need to decide if she should have surgery or euthanasia. If you are beginning to question if the time for euthanasia has arrived, consider discussing this with your vet to get their take since they have examined your dog and can provide some insight into her current quality of life. I hope this helps.

Euthanasia is a difficult decision for all involved. Without examining Nels, I can't say how her quality of life may be affected by this hanging mass, the cause of the mass, or any possible treatments. The best way to determine the underlying cause of Nels' mass is to take her to the vet for an exam and fine needle aspirate (FNA). The FNA is performed by sticking a needle into the mass to draw out a few cells and then examine them microscopically. This procedure is generally quick and relatively painless. From there, you should have more information as to whether the lesion is benign or malignant, and your vet will be able to provide more information as to whether or not surgery and antibiotics are indicated. If Nels is otherwise eating, drinking, and acting normally, I would recommend getting more information before making a life-ending decision.

It could be that this dog (if she is spayed) has spay incontinence causing the leaking. This can be treated with medication. As for the lumps, it's always a possibility that any lump on a senior dog could be malignant. I agree with you, if they love her, they would take her into the vet for these issues. Dogs need regular health care, and when there is something wrong, they have to see a vet. Otherwise, they could be causing the dog to suffer. You can point that out to them, and tell them you spoke with a vet who strongly urged them to take her into the vet. I hope this helps!

Before even thinking about putting her down (age is not a disease) I would make an appointment with your veterinarian for an exam of Pebbles. SInce Pebbles is not spayed there is a possibility that she has mammary tumors, but these masses could also be abscesses or cysts. without seeing these in person and a hands-on exam a diagnosis is not possible and therefore it is also not possible to determine whether euthanasia is an option.

If your dog is happy and you feel that she has a good quality of life and can poop fairly easily, there is no reason to put her down. Listen to your dog. She will tell you when it is time to go. Your dog knows. Apart from that there are quite a few ways to control pain. 1) arthritis pain is probably the worst and worse than tumor pain at this stage. So if she is stiff and wobbly you may want to ask your vet about giving her an NSAIDs for arthritis (she needs to have normal kidney and liver parameters, though, but since you had surgery done recently, your vet may be able to use those blood work results). 2) if she cannot take NSAIDs, then there are other pain medicines available. The lumps under the skin either side of her anus could be filled anal sacs which could be expressed. They may not be tumors. Your vet may be able to stop the bleeding of the tumor by cauterising it, or you can get some Yunnan Baiyao powder or capsules and put the powder on the bleeding wound. It should stop the bleeding for a while.

It could be that Lady has a cyst causing this lump. In a senior dog, it could also be a malignant tumor or a benign tumor. Without seeing her in person, I can't say for certain. If your vet sent her to a surgeon, then I would suspect that your vet believes it needs to be removed. I'm sorry you felt this surgeon was only worried about money, so I'd suggest speaking to your vet about a referral to another surgeon to get this lump diagnosed and possibly removed. It sounds like it's quite large if it's grapefruit size, and if it continues to grow, it could affect her ability to walk. In addition, if it is malignant, it needs to be removed as soon as possible. Best of luck, I hope this helps!

No leakage of clear fluid from a mammary tumor does not indicate that you have to euthanize her. Sometimes tumors can ulcerate (open up) and leak fluids, but usually the fluid consists of blood or pus, so I am unsure why the fluid here is clear, unless there is another component to the mass that is cyst like. Apply pressure to the area to hopefully stop the leakage, and if needed have your vet take a look at the area to determine if anything else needs to be done to manage it.