My dog has developed lots of lumps in his old age – what are they?
It is best to get all new or changing lumps evaluated by a veterinarian. There are many different lumps that dogs can get including, skin warts, sebaceous cysts, skin tags, lipomas or more worrisome cancerous lumps. Depending on the lump, recommendations can range from regular monitoring, a FNA (aspirate) or surgical biopsy or surgical removal if needed to investigate further or for treatment. Our veterinarians can help you decide on the best way to proceed for each individual lump.
I think my dog is painful; can I give a human pain reliever?
We do not recommend that an owner give any over-the-counter medications such as aspirin without first consulting with a veterinarian. Aspirin can be dangerous as it has common side effects as a gastrointestinal irritant and there is a risk of bleeding and ulceration from this. It also makes it more risky as many pain medications that are labeled for use in dogs have an increased incidence of side effects if there has been no “washout” period or lapse in time between different pain medication types.
When is the right time to have my dog euthanized?
Euthanasia is one of the most difficult but necessary decisions that we make. It is done in situations when a patient is suffering, painful or has a terminal illness.