Will it be hard for a 12 year old dog to recover from breast cancer surgery?

My 12 year old maltese has breast cancer. She has about three lumps altogether about the size of halfmy thumb. The vet did a blood test on her and she's okay for surgery. We're worried that with her old age it'll be harder for her to recover. She's really active now...like reallly active. It would be nice if anyone could give me details of your dog's recovery to surgery or any personal experiences from such eg. recovery process etc

We had a 10 year old dog spayed, who bounced back from surgery like a puppy did, but she was in great health, so that made a difference.If your vet thought she'd have a hard time recovering, he probably wouldn't do the surgery.

It really depends on the dog. If she is an active dog and her blood work came back normal she should do ok. Of course there is no way to know for sure. She will probably have a harder time recovering then a younger dog would.You just have to weigh the pros and cons. If you leave her with mammary tumors does the doctor think the cancer will spread? Will they eventually get to large to be surgically removed? You have to do what you think is right. Many dogs do just fine after surgery and you can't even tell they had any. I have a cat that has had mammary tumors removed twice. She recovered well both times and she is older. Unfortunately I have been told that if they come back she may not be able to have them removed. The skin on her belly is getting too tight. So it's better to remove them before they get to big if you plan on removing them at all.

A 12 year old dog shouldn't be put thru surgery. Let her live out her life in peace, and have her put down when the time comes. I've had 2 older dogs who had cancer, and I would NEVER put them thru surgeries. They were put down when their quality of life was no longer good. Your vet is a money grubbing moron. No reputable vet suggests surgery for a dog with cancer, at the age of 12. If you want a second opinion, have your vet refer you to a canine oncologist.

With a toy breed dog 12 is not that old. Your dog realisitically has another 5 years to live.Most types of mammary cancers are highly treatable, and your dog has an excellent chance of recovery and enjoying many more years of quality life.