Has anyone’s senior dog had surgery?
A reader asks…
My almost 11 y/o Lab needs surgery to remove a benign tumor. I’m so scared for him 
Aside from mild arthritis and this tumor, he has no health problems and still acts like a puppy. But I’ve always heard that surgery is a lot more risky for old dogs. So, has anyone been through this with their senior pet? How did it go?
(Scroll down to read answers)
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I’ve never had an elderly dog myself, but if the dog is otherwise in good health, there should be high hopes for him. I doubt the vet would operate if s/he didn’t think he was strong enough.
My senior lab/border collie mix had to go under for oral surgery, he’s still here grinning his toothless grin
Dont worry, all should be fine
My dog is not really that old and is quite healthy. However, with your dog, i would really suggest that you just spend the best of your time with him. I mean, this is just my opinion— he’s already on his senior. A lab’s lifespan may just be 12 or 13. There will be so much pain that may be involved with the procedures that he will have to go through, not to mention the money that you will spend for all the treatments and procedures.
Here’s a link where you can read about canine cancer. hope this helps…and i’m sorry to hear about the condition of your dog. i wish him all the best, though. spend as much time with him.
http://lnk.nu/dogtime.com/t4n.html
There’s always a risk for any dog, but complications are not common. Has your vet done pre-anesthetic blood work first, to make sure he will handle the anesthesia well? Your vet wants the same outcome for your dog as you do. Make sure you ask any questions about the surgery itself, how he’ll be monitored during the procedure, aftercare etc, it will put your mind at ease. Good luck!
The vet should be making sure the dog is a good candidate for surgery. They can test various things to be sure. If the vet thinks he’s good to go, then don’t worry about it. I have an older Lab cross, a rescued stray so no one knows his age but he’s definitely more than 10. He had surgery last fall for a benign lump and came through just fine. He was a bit slow the rest of the day but otherwise he barely noticed the surgery.
I have a 10-11 year old rat terrier that I took from a lady who kept him outdoors for years. He was not neutered when I got him so I felt he really needed to be. He has a significant heart murmur and had poor care prior to my getting him so I was concerned about him going under anesthesia. I gave him some time on his heart meds and worked on his weight issue (he was overweight) prior to surgery.
He did great with the surgery. He had no problems. When I picked him up the next day, he was totally himself – had good energy, appetite, etc.
The vet was aware of his issues and was very careful. He had multiple blood tests done prior to the surgery to check his health and organ function. Many vets require the tests prior to surgery for dogs over 8 or so. I would say, do all the tests the vet recommends to make sure your guy is healthy before the surgery.
The vet said there is always some risk and his risk was increased due to the heart murmur, but if it was her dog, she felt the surgery was important enough to go forward. She assured me that anesthesia methods have improved greatly even just over the past few years. They have fewer complications now.
Ask the vet what the pros and cons are of the surgery. Ask if there are other options for treating the tumor. Some tumors shrink if you give a dog a benedryl daily because they are histimine related. I would only do the surgery if the tumor posed some danger for the dog. If it’s just cosmetic, I wouldn’t worry about it.
When I had to have a mast cell tumor removed from my Boston Terrier, I had his teeth cleaned at the same time. Oral health is super important for long term organ function so if your dog has tartar and you do decide to go ahead with surgery, I’d recommend getting a dental cleaning while he is under.
My Boston was 7 at the time of his surgery and did wonderfully. I also have an elderly guy from a puppymill who had some teeth extracted under anesthesia at about 10 years old and he did fine. Both of those dogs were otherwise healthy when they had their procedures. I did the pre-op blood testing with them also.
I know it’s a hard decision. If you go ahead with the surgery, it will be a stressful day for you, I’m sure. I’m always on the edge of my seat until I get the call that they are out of surgery and waking up.
Good luck to you! Your dog is lucky – you obviously love him a lot!!
Molly