My senior dog has a paw growth. Is anesthesia safe at her age?

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. If it is possible, I would recommend having the x-rays done without sedation and depending on how the x-rays look and how her blood work looks, consider removal of the mass under anesthesia. She is not too old for anesthesia but the risk of anesthetic complications rises with age. As long as her heart, lungs and blood work are normal, she should be fine under anesthesia. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

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!

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Princess and for providing pictures, they are very helpful. Yes, this lump may be concerning as she is a senior dog and there is a chance it could be malignant. Any suspicious lumps should be examined by the 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 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. Give her vet a call in the morning to get her an appointment. I hope this helps!

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.

If your vet recommends removing the growth, it's likely a good idea. In a senior dog like Cookie, there is always a chance it could be cancer, which is why it's ideal to remove it to prevent it from spreading. If the growth is cut out with wide margins and the cancer hasn't already spread, it is possible that it can be cured completely without further treatment. The vet will do everything they can to remove the tumor fully, and I would imagine they would let you know if there was a concern that it couldn't be removed completely or if she wouldn't heal properly. I do advocate for removing growths in a senior dog especially if there is a concern it's cancer, but I highly recommend speaking to your vet about your concerns. Having an in-depth conversation with them may help allay your worries. I hope this helps!

Unfortunately without seeing Ray in person, there is no way I can diagnose what this growth is on his foot. In a senior dog, however, I would be concerned that it would be cancerous. It could also be a benign growth. The best thing to do is having him seen by a vet on Monday. The vet can perform a test called a fine needle aspirate on it. To do this, the vet sticks a small needle into the growth to get a sample of it's cells, and examines the cells on a slide under a microscope. It's usually painless to the animal, and relatively quick to perform. The vet most likely will want to remove it, and that will be a surgical procedure to do this, but only your vet can make the best treatment decision for Ray. I'd make an appointment for him for tomorrow. Good luck, I hope this helps!

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is definitely concerning that the lump has increased in size so quickly, as older dogs are typically more likely to develop cancers. The lump can also be an infection or cyst. I recommend having this seen by a vet as soon as possible - they can take a small sample from the growth to determine exactly what it is and recommend the appropriate treatment. I hope all is well!