Is it really necessary (causing her discomfort, unable to urinate, life threatening)? Any surgery is risky and more so over the age of 10 years. With her past history I would really be concerned about putting under anesthesia. Could she be coming into season? At 11.5 she still can if she has not been spayed. Blood work can tell you a lot...ALT,CRE,CBC,BUN,etc... to see liver kidney levels - but it can not tell you the condition of her heart (and lungs) and if they can withstand surgery (maybe do a Doppler?). Please make sure to talk everything over with your Vet with concerns and the high risks. Seek a second opinion, if need be. If taking in consideration of age in human years most would say she is about 75 years old...being expected life range for a Labrador is 10-12 years, I'd say she is in her very senior years. I hope I am not coming across as judgmental, for that is not how I intend....my concerns are for you and your much loved girl. Good luck with what ever you decide, and please re-post on how she is doing. I lost my 12 year old girl a year ago, and those old gals have a special place in my heart.
thanks for the info. the area was slighly swollen for about 2 months, now its more swollen.
the vet said it appears to be a fatty tumor, not attached to anything except the wall area.
She could be in heat, as there was a slight discharge at the vets office. I did not see any blood, and actually thought that she was too old to come in heat.
I have been thinking, and if we proceed, i will just have them take out the tumor, and skip the spay, so that she is not under anastetic so long. (pending pre surgical blood work)
I am concerned about her age, and past history.
I am putting her on nuvet viatmins today, I was told that the viatmins may shrink fatty tumors.
I have an old girl with some fatty tumors, they are not pretty, but they don't hurt her, so I leave them.
another of my old girls ( going on 12 yrs ) had a tumor in a breast, so we did have the vet remove it, after labwork, chest xray, etc. to be sure she could withstand the surgery. my vet asked if I wanted it biopsied, we discussed it, and I decided not to. treatment was removal of tumor ( done ), and if cancerous, chemo., which I decided I would not subject her to, as she would hate the treatments, she has anxiety just going in the car, and trips to the vet are torture for her ( she pants, teeth chatter, hides under the chair, etc. )she had an ACL repair as a youngster, and has feared the vet office every since.
so, we just cherish her, and spend every day enjoying her and hope she has a few more years with us.
My now deceased Yoyo had a fatty tumor there as well. She was about 12 when I noticed it. I knew I had to do something when she wasn't joining the others when they were doing zoomies. She was having an obvious problem laying down and even more uncomfortable sitting. I had it removed immediately. Days after removal she was like a youngin again. I couldn't watch my girl in such discomfort.
