How big can an untreated cancerous tumor get on my senior dog?

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!

I am sorry, but there is no cure for cancer. Small tumors can be removed surgically and then undergo chemotherapy or radiation therapy depending on the type of tumor and if clean margins were made during surgery. If this is not an option for Hundoll, then he would be considered for hospice-type care. I would recommend that you have have him evaluated by a vet for pain. You can feed him whatever he wants at this point. Acupuncture may help with some of the pain, but it won't be able to stop the growth of the tumor. You may be able to find a vet in your area that uses herbal remedies, but they need to be prescribed after careful examination of the dog.

I'm sorry to hear that Pepe has been diagnosed with a tumor. Left untreated the tumor will likely continue to grow and get larger. As it grows it may become ulcerated or infected. Often times tumors like this will bleed and become quite painful. There is also a chance that left untreated the tumor may metastasize and spread elsewhere in the body. If Pepe is otherwise in good health it would probably be best to have the tumor removed. Best of luck to you and Pepe and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

The option is to do nothing and just wait until the tumor is so big that is causes problems or pain or ulcerates. There really are no other options other than surgery (debulking the tumor), maybe radiation (this willl depend on the kind of tumor) or chemotherapy (which also depends on the kind of tumor. I suggest you discuss palliative care (just treat symptoms until euthanasia) with your veterinarian. I am sorry your Rusty is so ill.

You are very welcome and honestly, though we wish you weren't in this situation, we're very glad to here. The progression growth for this type of tumor varies greatly by pet. This could be something that has been going on for a while and may always be there without showing much symptom. You'll want to continue monitoring her for any discomfort and report any changes to your doctor. At that time, if it ever comes, you might discuss changes her diet to a softer food. Be sure any changes are made with approval of your treating physician though. With Kidney and Pancreatic concerns diet can be very important. Please let us know if you have any questions of concerns.

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!

There is no way of telling without the lab results but rapidly growing, poorly structured /crumbly tumors are highly suspicious for being severely cancerous and bone tumors are very often extremely painful so it is important to monitor her quality of life and pain levels at all stages. Diet manipulation such as hills n/d and some herbal supplements have promising results in slowing some tumor growth rates but should not be relied upon for a cure or used if she is in pain which cannot be controlled