
Difficult decisions. Surgery would be most curative.
Has the vet looked at different anaesthetic options?
I had a Jozi, 14 1/2 year old have to have the large carnassial tooth out in July due to an abscess and opted to have large fatty lump/cyst off her back at the same time, it had been growing over a year or so and I had not wanted to put her under for it.
The incision was 6 inches long, and the fur has still not fully recovered, I'd have probably left it until she went but the risk was that it would just get too big and cause discomfort eventually, so the tooth thing meant I had no choice but to put her under.
She sailed though the anasthetic, but vet did say she was fitter than many 9 year olds and on pick up they had actually thought it was her 11 year old daughter.