Looking for info please. My girl had an emergency c section and a spay. She has a couple of suspicious lumps in back teats but he didn't want to do anything cos of pups. Is suggesting a complete mammary strip when she is fully recovered. I had a mammary tumour off another dog years ago which didn't return.
Long story but this is a new vet to us and not sure if he is too keen to do a strip as first resort. Looking at info it seems a massive op and not one I would want to rush into lightly.
Any experiences on the op and recovery etc please

I had a full strip done on a borzoi bitch, on the vets advice, it was a huge op with a long, painful recovery. She died a year later when various tumours were discovered in her chest cavity. I said then that I would never put another bitch through that, and I haven't. Of course borzois are pathetic, maybe a collie or a more stoical breed would have recovered faster and with less drama.

Since that girl I've had two others with mammary tumours, one was an old lurcher girl I was fostering and I opted to just leave her be, she lived for two more years and had a very good quality of life. The other, another rescue lurcher had just the lump removed a year ago and no more have appeared since. She recovered very quickly.

Thank you. vet did talk about chest X-ray first but gut feeling his telling me to get lumps off first and see what happens

I had a GSD with mammary tumours and the vet wanted to do a full strip, I refused as I have seen what a big painful op it is, opted for removal of 2 mammary glands and a margin, this took 9 weeks to heal, breaking down and getting infected. She lived happily for 2 years after this then suddenly went off her food and was found to have cancer specks spread to the lungs, it may have been that she would have been cured by a full strip but I don't regret my decision.  I did see a small terrier bitch have a full both side strip at 10 years old and survive another 3 years so perhaps it's easier on a small dog.

neighbour had a full strip done on her cat.   she said really regreted it as the cat suffered badly for weeks despite pain meds, careful nursing.  several months after the cat became ill & on investigation  cancer had spread , no sign prior to strip on xray but must have already happened just was not visible at time.

Thank you