I have a 15 yo dog. it has been suspected for some time that he has a tumour in his testicles but due to his age I had not wanted to castrate unless the vets could tell me the tumour was definitely there and that castration was needed. The testicle was not particularly large. Over the  last 2-3 months however the tumour has grown considerably and the testicle is now about the size of a tennis ball.

The vet says most tumours in dogs are benign or they dont metastasise very often but now would like to remove it as it is growing. At first that was my reaaction too but now I am starting to worry about the risks of surgery on a dog of is age. He is a very fit 15 yo if you didnt know you would think he was about 12 or 13. Has anyone had experience of castrating an elderly dog? or doing any other surgery on a 15 yo dog? I dont know what carries the most risk. Surgery or leaving the tumour alone. I dont want to make the wrong decision for him.

My mum recently had a tumor removed from her 15.5 year old dog as it too was growing (not in the testicle though) as long as your dog is fit.........I wouldn't personally worry. It will not be a long or too intrusive operation and I'd have him home the same day (less stressful) a vet will sometimes refuse if he/she feels an animal is too elderly, obviously yours is not flagging up too much worry for them.....they always worry us with general anesthetics but if there is no underlying heart problems, usually a very small risk.....I'd have the operation on him.

If he isn't in pain and not in discomfort from the size I would not operate on a  dog who may well be at the end of his lifespan (certainly already on borrowed time).

I had our Jozi's abscessed tooth removed at 14 1/2 in July (the alternative would have been to PTS a fit active dog) and she lived a further 9 months to Good Friday in April.  While she was under I opted to have a large sebeacueous cyst on her back removed (6 inch incision) and her coat had not regrown yet.

I won't keep a dog going who can't do normal doggy things any more like going for a walk.

Thanks. I just dont know what to do. I am beating myself up that I didnt have it removed when they first wanted to do it as that was over a year ago. He doesnt seem to be in pain other than the normal achey-ness  that is to be expected in an old dog. He is gradually getting a bit more wobbly  but has been gong on walks. Circumstances mean he hasnt been walking as much over the last month or so. He is slow but manages a mile or two without a problem.

My boy had testicular cancer at 10 years old and one thing I would be prepared for if you go ahead is the healing time.  After his op he was incredibly swollen and sore and painkillers were necessary as he struggled to sit or lie down due to the pain and swelling, this is totally different than when I have had younger dogs neutered in the past, the vet did say that it takes longer for an older dog to heal and the scrotum to shrink.

thank you. that is a real concern. The vets have all pretty much given me the imperession that the op will be the same qs a normal castration. I dont want do anything that will knock him healthwise as I dont think he has as much strength to recover. I tink I will make an appointment with the vet today or Monday and go in and discuss the worries I have before I do go ahead.

I have spoken to the vet again and they feel that now the tumour is growing it would be better to remove it as it could become painful or ulcerate if left. They have been very reassuring about taking care of him during the surgery and will do blood tests beforehand to make sure kidneys and liver are functioning correctly.  I will spend the weekend worrying myself to bits about it. He is booked in for Tuesday all being well. Any further experiences and thoughts welcome. Thank You.

Todays anaesthetics are safer than ever.  Your boy will be fine.  Vets don't give positive outlooks unless they believe everything will go well.  I know it won't stop you worrying but I've had more than one dog have ops when old.  My vet, like yours, gives all the precautions needed.  They have never lost a dog of mine and I think all will go well.

I also had a dog that was operated on when she was14.5, the vet did all the tests beforehand and she was as bright as a button after with no complications.

Please try and not to worry too much, easier said than done though.

Good luck for Tuesday.

Annee

> the vet did say that it takes longer for an older dog to heal and the scrotum to shrink.

The vet has said they will remove the scrotum as well as this is better in older dogs presumably so shrinkage isnt a problem.

Aw that is good, hopefully won't have the issues that my boy did. I hope all goes well.

Wishing you both best wishes and a speedy recovery

Facebook Replies:

Nicki Passy says: I had a 10 year old castrated with no problems.

Kerry Diamond says: My old boy was castrated due to a tumour at 10, no probs, I recently had my 13 yr old bitch knocked out for extensive dental treatment, again fine, but done all the pre op blood tests beforehand to check organ function. Good luck

Emma Judson says: A castrate is a pretty quick op, so I would go for it!

Lisa Towning says: The vet will be able to do pre op bloods to check vital organ functions prior to surgery which should highlight any specific risks. I had a very large male (54kg) castrated at turned 11 years old and being a large breed he was certainly considered quite old at 11 and he sailed through it with no problems

Niki Metcalf says: There is also a gentler anaesthetic that can be used to put older dogs under with and bring them around which is safer for then the the standard general one mainly used. Most vets will not give you the option, old or not, unless you ask for it. It doesn't stay in their system as long as the normal one they use and so helps the dog recover better. I would suggest speaking to your vet about it.

Sue Harris says: we had an older boy operated on for a tumour in one of his testicles, though like you I was told unlikely to metastasise as outside the body not usually malignant. He was fine in no time as not complicated surgery so can be done relatively quickly.........lived to a ripe old age x