12 year old retriever with testicular cancer

[NDenny]

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Hi

I am looking for advice.

My golden retriever, Austin turned 12 in december.

Unfortunately he has a tumour in his testicles which is in turn causing an enlarged prostate and alopecia.

He has had a biopsy of the prostate and cancer has been ruled out there so the vet has suggested that castration would help as taking away the tumour & testicles will stop the over production of estrogen meaning the prostate swelling should go down and his hair loss should stop.... which all sounds great.

However he is 12 and from what ive read average life expectancy in a retriever is 10-12 years so Im feeling worried about putting him through the surgery at his age given that ultimately he could pass with old age tomorrow.

Has anyone else encountered this and neutered their dog at such an old age? I guess I am just looking for confirmation that neutering him is the best thing to do.

Thank you!
Nicola x

 

[JoanneF]

I don't have experience but I didn't want to read and run. It is a tough decision.

There is a scale used to assess our pets' quality of life when they are seriously ill. What is their quality of life in relation to Hurt, Hunger, Hydration, Hygiene, Happiness, Mobility and More good days than bad days. You can find more detail here

Pawspice And Animal Oncology Consultation Service - Veterinarian In Hermosa Beach, CA USA :: Quality of Life Scale

There is a saying, better a week too soon than a day too late. It's a terrible decision but one that responsible owners have to face. If it helps, the Blue Cross has a pet bereavement counselling service.

 

[JudyN]

Have you talked this through with your vet? They may have a feel for how well he would cope with surgery and recovery given his general condition, how many months/years of good-quality life he would have ahead of him if he had the op, and how may months/years if he didn't.

These would be the questions I'd be asking, but the answers will at best be guesstimates. What to do based on this would then be your decision, difficult as it is. Personally I would put quality of life above quantity.

I hope you and your dog have plenty more happy times together before you have to say goodbye.

 

[Violet Turner]

I’m sorry to hear this, I have experienced this in my old career and I recommend to you have a chat to your vet they can run through some options with you. There is a few options that I can run through with you now if it is okay. With all of this list there is still a risk to life as he is 12 years old.

1. You could leave it, what I mean by this is have no surgery but this could create pain.
   
   
2. Surgery, you could neuter him because it could increase his chance of living a little longer.
   
   
3. Try and put his quality of life before quantity.

• Hope this helps, we are always here if you need anything just message me or anyone I’m sure everyone will be able comfort you in all ways possible.

 

[leashedForLife]

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an "enlarged prostate" is actually the norm for intact-M dogs over the age of 6.
90% of intact-Ms have BPH by 9-yrs of age, & yes, BPH / enlarged prostate causes all sorts of complications & discomforts for any dog who suffers it, & also for their owner. // They have difficulty urinating or can't quite empty their bladders, have trouble defecating, etc. Repeated potty-trips at night, dribbling after they've just urinated, a feeling of pressure from urine lurking in the not-quite-drained bladder, constipation, & other issues can arise.
The swollen prostate may or may not be painful, itself, & the side-effects also can be painful or just a pain in the butt [getting up twice nightly to let the dog out to pee, for instance].

See here for more info:
Prostate Gland Enlargement in Dogs | petMD
&
Prostate Gland Enlargement in Dogs | petMD

I quote their conclusion from pg 2:
"Benign Prostate Enlargement (BPH) is an age-related problem, & castration is the best method for avoiding or treating this problem in dogs."


If U're wondering how well he'll handle anaesthetic, gas-GA is very safe these days & isofluorane has an excellent record for both efficacy & safety. // Ask Ur vet what they'll be using to induce & maintain anaesthesia.
Also, a full blood-panel is a simple & safe way to ensure he's got good organ function - particularly his liver & kidneys, for metabolizing the anaesthetics or any other meds, & excreting their byproducts. Such panels are not expensive, & that would give U really solid information to base a decision on, & ensure Ur dog's safety.

12-YO is a senior dog, yes, but not all seniors are debilitated, & castration is a quick & usually simple procedure.
Were he mine, & if no red flags came up in his full blood-panel [CBC, white blood-cell #s, hematocrit, kidney & liver enzymes, etc], I'd go ahead with neutering him.
It should make him much-more comfortable, & may very well extend his lifespan.

If U do neuter him, be sure to follow the vet's recovery instructions, particularly about keeping his tongue & teeth off the incision until the sutures come out (or it heals, if they are resorbable sutures), & not letting him jump or run for the 1st week post-neuter.
A cone-collar is a good idea, or if he fusses about a cone-collar, put a pair of pants on him with a disposable panty-liner to catch any drainage, so U can see the color - a 4-inch wide Ace bandage secured with SAFETY PINS will prevent him from removing the pants, or shoving them aside to lick at the incision, & potentially infect it.

I have no idea how active he is, nor whether there are other dogs in the household, but he can't be around other dogs off-leash or unsupervised while healing - if he can't reach the incision to mess with it, they're liable to lick or nibble it "for" him; plus, he cannot run or wrestle while the incision is open.

Complete healing usually takes about 7 to 10 days, & is uneventful in most dogs. Keep it clean & dry, & for the 1st 3 or 4 days, check it several times a day for swelling, drainage, or any pink flushed skin around his stitches or incision. A small amount of clear yellow fluid may weep from the stitches for a day or 2, that's normal [it's serum, the liquid component of blood.]
By day 5, the incision should be a pale-pink line, it should lie flat with the surrounding skin, & it should feel barely warmer than the surrounding tissue.

JMO & IME - YMMV,
- terry

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