Health advice needed

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for advice from anyone who has been through something similar with their dog.

My dog is a 16-year-old male Cocker Spaniel. He has a large perianal adenoma that has grown significantly over time. My veterinarian recommends surgery to remove it because they are concerned it could eventually obstruct his bowel and potentially lead to a serious infection if left untreated.

The main concern is that the tumour is very close to the anal sphincter. The vet explained that surgery carries a risk of damaging one side of the sphincter, which could leave him with permanent faecal incontinence.

Another thing that makes this decision even harder is that my vet also told me that, even if the surgery is successful, the tumour will most likely grow back within 2–3 months because of its location and my dog's age.

Despite his age, he's still in good spirits, eats well, enjoys his walks, and has a good quality of life. He did have a minor stroke some time ago, but his recent blood work and cardiac evaluation are both good, and the vet believes he is fit enough for anaesthesia.

I'm really struggling with this decision. Has anyone had an elderly dog with a large perianal adenoma undergo surgery? How did your dog recover? Did anyone experience incontinence afterwards, or were there other complications? If your vet thought the tumour was likely to recur quickly, did you still choose surgery? If you decided against surgery, how did things progress?

I'd really appreciate hearing about your experiences, as I'm trying to make the best decision for my dog.

Thank you.