My older dog Scooby (9yr old Rhodesian Ridgeback) has recently been diagnosed with having an enlarged prostate, the vet saw it on an ultra sound scan in a pet MOT.  Following his advice we have had Scooby castrated and blood tests have been done which do not show any obvious signs of cancer (calcium levels normal).  The vet has said for us to go back in a month to see if the drop in testosterone after castration has enabled the prostate to go back to a normal size. 

However, the vet has said that if it does not go back to normal size that there is possibly not much he can do about it because operating on the prostate is a complicated surgery that risks amongst other things permanent incontinence, not to mention the risks associated with major surgery on an older dog.  I was just wondering if anyone has been in a similar situation and if there is any alternatives that I should discuss with my vet or if in fact surgery would be worth investigating?  I know vets give the best advice in their opinion but I also find that (like doctors) if you go into the appointment uninformed you are very much at the mercy of the expert and it may turn out that there is vet down the road who would give me quite a different opinion, so I'm just trying to get as well informed about the situation as possible.

Thanks in advance.

Your vet just went straight for castration ? NOAH have Suprelorin implants as treatment for enlarged prostates, I'm surprised your vet didn't discuss using it to reduce the prostate & then considering castration.

Also the earlier chemical castration drug can be used as it was very successfully on my friends aged Collie where operating was deemed to risky.

Ah, you see this is exactly why I came on here, shame its too late for my dogs balls! I should have come on here sooner, I was uneasy about even the castration and asked if there was any alternative but nothing was offered up by the vets - this is why I frankly don't trust vets or doctors! 

Anyway Scooby is doing fine after his op and I would imagine the vet was probably going with the most cost effective option for a pet owner?  Or perhaps he just wanted to get him castrated for fear I may irresponsibly breed from my 9yr old dog!?!?  Whatever!  The dirty deed has been done now so are there any treatments for enlarged prostate if castration doesn't work that I should be aware of and research before I see my vet next?

To be honest unless there is established cancer (which I think they would have noticed) the reduction in male hormones will mean it will shrink down.

Prostate cancer is not that common in entire dogs, usually more common in neutered ones.