My senior dog has a burst tumor. Is anesthesia safe for surgery?

Your veterinarian will have the best information about the safety of anesthesia given her condition. I would ask them how much the heart condition will increase the risk of anesthesia and what is the expected benefit of the surgery given the stage of the cancer? If the cancer is stage 4, then the prognosis may be very bad (makes the surgery less necessary); compared with a stage 1 (where it would be very beneficial to remove the tumors, before they spread). It comes down to ensuring that you are well-informed of the risks and expected benefits. Without knowing all of the details it's really difficult for me to say. Generally, heart conditions tend to not be that scary under anesthesia and may actually reduce the stress on the heart during anesthesia. I've anesthetized many heart patients and have found that the anesthesia tends to go very smoothly. However, we do tend to use select drugs and have an increased alertness to the activity of the heart when we anesthetize them. Sorry to see that Chica is having these problems. I'm sure this has been very difficult for you. I hope I was able to help answer your questions.

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Abby and for providing pictures, they are very helpful. That is a nasty looking growth, and yes I would recommend having it removed. You should have a geriatric blood panel and urinalysis done on her before surgery. That will help assess accurately her anesthetic risk, but keep in mind many dogs her age have surgery with no issue. I would also recommend x-rays of her chest in case this growth is malignant. Malignant growths on the paw tend to metastasize to the the lungs. I hope this helps!

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I can see that Jake has a very large, round, well demarcated growth on his side. While it is impossible to tell exactly what type of tumor it is and give a prognosis following removal, it is likely that removing the tumor will make him more comfortable. Depending on the approach, the surgical site may be rather large and require some care and pain management at home. As long as Jake is otherwise healthy, surgery and anesthesia are relatively safe as well. I hope this helps and am happy to answer any other questions you have!

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 recommend a veterinary exam to check how infected the tooth is. If they listen to her heart and it is fine and her blood work is stable they may be able to do light sedation only and remove the infected tooth. Bad teeth are very painful and also the dental infection can worsen the liver problem so extracting it if it can be done safely would be my recommendation. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Daisy.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I personally don't think age is a major risk factor for anesthesia. Most of the problems or deaths under anesthesia are unpredictable and can happen to any age. Doing blood work and checking for any underlying issues like a heart murmur before surgery is great. Anesthesia is monitored closely by the veterinary nurses: blood pressure, oxygen levels, EKG, animals are intubated and are on oxygen and on IV fluids. There are health risks to leaving diseased teeth in the mouth as well. Overall if Angel is a healthy senior I think she will do fine! Good luck!

In a senior dog like Sandy, there is always a chance that a lump could be malignant. This does need to be seen by a 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 lump while the dog is awake to get a sample of its cells, and examines the cells on a slide under a microscope. It's usually painless to the animal, and relatively quick to perform. Once the cause of the lump is diagnosed, the vet can discuss treatment options if needed. There are senior dogs who have anesthesia without problems, and that may be the case with Sandy. The lump needs to be diagnosed first before worrying about going to surgery, so give your vet a call in the morning to make an appointment. Best of luck, I hope this helps!