I'd like to share thoughts about a common scenario - an older dog with a lump that keeps slowly growing. "All of a sudden" (sort of) the owner is faced with a decision - surgery on their old dog or not? I commonly hear the thought of "leaving it because the dog is old" but now, the old dog seems as perky as ever but the lump is HUGE! I suggest 2 little "tests" to run on your thought process. First, taking a lump off when it is small is so much easier so "test" out the possibility of getting the lump removed with minimal anaesthetic or even "local" ask the vet! Second, ask yourself what you would do if the lump were on you or your aging parent. The dilemma I face as a surgeon is trying to remove massive lumps that interfere with quality of life or even moving around, but the animal is still fine in every other way! Please run the "2 question" lump test after you find out as much information about the nature of the lump as possible. Early removal is best.
Dr. Barb