Petco Text Logo
Petco Pet Logo

  • Two Easy Ways to Start Earning Rewards!

My 11-year-old dog has a tail lump. Should he get cancer surgery?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Large (61lb +) | Male | neutered | 11 years and 5 months old | 88 lbs

My dog has a lump on his tail , Vet days looks like cancer and wants to cut it out my dog is 11 years old what is your opinion?

This question includes photos that may contain sensitive content. Click to view.

View more to consider that the photos may include sensitive content.

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Image profile

Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on March 17th, 2018

I'm sorry Simba has a lump on his tail! I do recommend following your vet's assessment and having it removed. If it is cancer, you do want it taken it off his tail to prevent any chance of it spreading. Eleven isn't very old, and doing this surgery may help extend his life another couple of years. Old age isn't a disease, and your vet wouldn't recommend surgery if they didn't feel it wasn't a safe option for him. In my opinion, I would do the surgery. Good luck, I hope this helps!

Vote icon

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Questions

Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My 13 yr old Shar-Pei has a good sized lump in her neck. I took her to my vet today and she examined her. The lump is solid and is under her tongue as well. Most likely cancer. My vet recommends just watching it and not doing surgery. What are your t
At the age of 13 surgery in this location may actually not prolong your dog's life, but actually cause him more suffering, as, in order to remove this fairly large tumor, parts of the tongue and neck tissue may need to be removed. This will take a while to heal, be painful and will interfere with eating. I think you can trust your vet with the assessment. If you would like a second opinion, consult with a veterinary oncologist. I am sure your vet can refer you to one and will not mind.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
Hello I saw sth like a tumor on the back of my dog. After a while i saw sth in her tail like a line with some spot white black or dark brown. My dog is 12. I dont want she will be irritate with surgery. Please give me a clue. Thank you
A picture of the lesion you are describing would be really helpful for us to determine the underlying cause of them. Generally speaking the two problems may be completely unrelated. What is affecting her tail could be due to a localized infection, whereas this kind of lump/growth needs to be ideally assessed by your veterinarian to have a definitive and specific answer. Usually there are two ways your vet can do that a part from examining it directly during physical examination. A biopsy can be taken under local or general anesthetic, otherwise a smaller sample through a fine needle can be aspirated (this technique is called FNA= fine needle aspiration). Differentials include skin cysts, infections, benign or more sinister type of tumors. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My 10yr old dog has a growth about 3 inches on her lower abdomen, aside from the growth she she seems happy and is eating well, vet said to surgically removed the growth. However my concern are what if it's cancer? Will the tumor grow back? What if
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!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My dog has a lump on her tail that's been there since she was only months old, but now it has grown. The odd thing is her behavior isn't changing and she doesn't lose her appetite or anything strange. She once ingested aluminum and vomited but nothin
I am as well concerned about the possibility of cancer. The good news is that it has been there for awhile so sometimes they will get larger if it gets infected. Or if it is a fatty deposit they can also grow as dogs gets older. Unfortunately cancer is also a possibility. With it being on her tail, I would get it checked out soon before it gets much larger. If it does need to be surgically removed it is easier to remove the smaller it is because of its location. If it gets really large, the veterinarian will have a difficult time removing the whole thing since there is limited skin to work with on the tail. I hope this helps.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
I am worried about what is on my dogs tail, I don’t no what it is, it could be nothing but I have a vet appointment booked for Friday 20th but I can’t stop thinking about it and looking at it, can someone please advise and help settle my head, I have
It is hard to tell for sure based on the photo due to the hair there and also the way the swelling looks. I can certainly tell however that it has opened up and healed over in the center at some point. This is likely either due to trauma or the fact that it has grown so large and is running out of room. If the swelling has been there for more than a few weeks, then we have to assume this is a mass and therefore have it tested to find out what kind of mass it is. If it just showed up and is bothering Lucky, then there is a chance it is an inflammatory lesion, and that medications can help it resolve. This can really go either way, so unfortunately you will have to wait a bit until your vet can look at it on Friday. The vet may also offer to have it tested to be sure. I do hope that things go well moving forward with Lucky and this swelling on his tail. Best wishes and take care.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
my 13 yr old mutt just had bladder stone surgery for the 2nd time in two years. Now she has a growth on her thigh the size of the palm of my hand. It's not bothering her. my vet wants to take it off for 900.00 my husband says enough I am confused as
Your vet can do a fine needle aspirate and have it looked at by a pathologist to determine whether it is a malignant tumor. If it is a harmless lipoma , that does not bother her, then there is no need to remove it until it bothers her or causes problems. If it is malignant, then it should be removed. You may want to get a second opinion from another vet.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My dog had cancer in the past yes but he just turned 11. Tonight he started tugging at a new growth on his tail. I need help on what to do.
Place an e-collar (cone) on him to prevent licking or chewing until he sees the doctor. A fine needle aspirate or other biopsy can be done to collect samples for pathology. This may provide a diagnosis. Treatment options can be discussed once results are returned.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My dog is 11 years old and prances around like he is a puppy he eats well and goes to the bathroom my worry is that he has lump on his throat is doesnt hurt him when I touch it or feel around it ..I look up some pictures to see what it is an it shows
Unfortunately, cancer is always a possibility in a senior dog like Mufasa. 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 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. I would have Mufasa seen by a vet tomorrow to have the lump examined and diagnosed so it can be treated.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My 13 year old female shih tzu cross yorkie has a small bump on her tail. It kinda looks like a skin tag but is on the bigger size. Does not hurt her when touched, no redness on it or around. Can provide a picture of it if possible
Unfortunately, there is no way to share photos in the forum, but if you'd like to request a consult with an expert online, you can share photos there. This lump could be a benign tumor, a wart, or a malignant tumor. 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 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. I would take Sikira into the vet tomorrow to have the lump examined and diagnosed. Treatment will depend on the diagnosis.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
Would you suggest getting this massive tumor removed from 10 year old Domerman/Lab mix?
Thank you for using Boop by Petco! 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!
Updated on September 24th, 2025

Related Searches

Dog Health & Wellness Dog Medicine and Prescriptions Dog Thyroid Medication & Hormone Care Dog Recovery Cones & Surgical Suits Pet Pharmacy Antifungal Medication for Dogs Dog Vitamins & Supplements Dog Pain Relief & Arthritis Meds Prescription Shampoo for Dogs Dog First Aid & Recovery Simplicef Dog Medicine and Prescriptions Simplicef Prescription Dog Antibiotics Healthy Aging Dog Supplies Simplicef Cat Medicine Selegiline Dog Thyroid Medication & Hormone Care Simplicef Pet Pharmacy Simparica Prescription Flea & Tick Medicine for Dogs Onsior Dog Medicine and Prescriptions Seniorbliss Dog Health & Wellness Simparica Dog Medicine and Prescriptions
image
Have A Vet Question?

Book an appointment with the pros – our expert vets are here to help.

Book Now

Sponsored