My old dog has a growing tumor, but vet is hesitant. Second opinion?

Question

13.5 year old dachshund and Portuguese Water Dog mix has a large tumor under his tail and above his rear leg. The vet removed tumors from same site (looked like raw chicken parts) 4 years ago. Vet is hesitant to remove these given his age, general anesthesia, and that he may lose control over his anus. Tumor appears to be growing. Dog is in good health otherwise. Should we seek a second opinion or just let them keep growing? Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Medium (23 - 60lb) | Male | neutered | 14 years old | 40 lbs

Lotus Altholtz · Accepted Answer

Gumbo definitely is at increased anesthetic risk (risk of adverse events during anesthesia and risk of poor recovery) at age 14 (7-8 years of age is considered geriatric), even with normal blood work (normal liver/kidney values). In addition those are extremely large masses and surgical removal could definitely affect anal tone (result in incontinence) assuming that anesthesia and recovery do go well. There is also a possibility that the type of cancer Gumbo has is metastatic and has already spread to the lungs for which the prognosis is poor (chest rads would be recommended prior to proceeding with surgery). I would recommend bringing Gumbo to have the anal glands checked regularly to make sure that they are empty. I also recommend keeping Gumbo as comfortable as possible as consulting with your veterinarian about treatment and humane endpoints if the masses become ulcerated.

My old dog has a growing tumor, but vet is hesitant. Second opinion?

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