Can my 14-year-old dog with a large testicle be safely neutered?

Dogs can get testicular cancer that could cause one to enlarge. The good news is the this can usually be cured with neutering (removing the testicles). It also could be due to inflammation or infection. With surgical removal this should not shorten Skilo's life span. Neutering is a routine surgery with minimal pain and a quick recovery. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Skilo.

He should be castrated. Twelve is not old for a small breed dog and age, in itself, is not a disease. If he is otherwise healthy he should be fine for surgery. Castration, in general, is a very short procedure.

This depends entirely on the patient. Castration in older dogs is often recommended to manage hormonal dependent conditions, certain prostate issues or to remove testicular tumours. Risks include mostky surgical and anaesthetic risks in an older dog

Poor Oscar! His scrotum does look quite swollen and sore. Yes, unfortunately this could definitely be caused by testicular cancer, as this is a fairly common problem in older intact male dogs. He could also have an infection of the scrotum or testicles causing this swelling. I would recommend taking him to the vet to have this checked as soon as you are able to. He/she can take a biopsy if needed to help determine exactly what's going on, and may recommend surgical removal if cancer is suspected.

Denzel is adorable! Since he has had 12 years of exposure to testosterone, neutering him at this point will not decrease his existing prostate enlargement. Anesthesia with a louder heart murmur can be slightly more high risk, but can still be performed in many cases after a cardiologist evaluation with an echocardiogram and cautious anesthetic monitoring. Consider discussing the risks vs. benefits of neutering Denzel at this point with your vet, but it is unlikely to change his prostate issue. I hope that all goes well!

I would definitely get Huxley neutered. He's not too old to be neutered, and given that he has a retained testicle, neutering is highly recommended. The retained testicle is more prone to testicular tumors and testicular torsion. Testicular tumors are more common in older dogs, but warning signs include swelling in the testicle, hair and skin changes, nipple enlargement, and pale gums among other symptoms. I would speak to a vet about scheduling Huxley for a neuter very soon.

I don't blame you for being concerned! You're right that congestive heart failure does increase the risk associated with anesthetic procedures, so we want to be very cautious about going forward with surgery in dogs who have this problem. I would recommend sitting down with your veterinarian to discuss the pros and cons of doing the neuter surgery in Wesley's case. In particular, you may want to ask about his life expectancy with congestive heart failure, and whether it's likely that the testicular tumor will progress enough to cause any serious problems before that. If the tumor appears to be slow-growing and is not currently bothering him, it may be reasonable to leave it alone rather than take the risk of surgery.