When you notice what appears to be a cyst on your dog's body, you should take the pet to your local animal clinic so that a veterinarian can assess the cyst. Based on a variety of factors, the vet may advocate monitoring the cyst but otherwise leaving it alone or scheduling a surgery date to remove it. During the surgical consultation, you can expect that your veterinarian will discuss these topics with you.
Importance Of Surgery
You can expect that the veterinarian will talk to you about the importance of surgery to remove your dog's cyst. This conversation will give you a chance to ask questions so that you feel informed. The vet will cover many topics, including how the cyst may be bothering your pet and how some types of cysts found on dogs can become cancerous over time. They'll also talk about how failing to remove the cyst now could create various complications in the future. For example, in the case of a cyst around your dog's eye, the continued growth of the cyst would likely result in eye irritation. You'll also learn how removing a cyst now, rather than in the future when it grows larger, will result in a simpler surgery that is easier for your pet.
Dog's Age
The age of your dog will partially influence how the veterinarian proceeds in dealing with the cyst. If the dog is younger or middle-aged, the vet will almost certainly recommend performing surgery to remove the cyst. Surgery can be a risk in older dogs, particularly due to the use of an anesthetic. If your pet is older, the vet will explain the risk factors associated with the surgery to remove the cyst and, most importantly, discuss the steps that they'll take to keep your dog safe and ensure that the surgery goes well.
Post-Surgery Care
Your veterinarian will also talk to you about the role that you can play in caring for your pet after its surgery. It's important to avoid infection around the sutured area, and the vet will discuss several things for you to do. They'll encourage you to monitor the suture to look for visible signs of infection, as well as to clean the area and/or change the dressing around a regular schedule. You'll also need to revisit the veterinary clinic for one or more post-surgery appointments so that the vet can ensure everything is healing properly.
For more information, contact a local pet clinic.
