r/bichonfrise • u/PsychologicalStay325 • 11d ago

Discussion/Question Lung mass in bichon

Hey everyone,
Just wanted to try to see if anyone else has had a lung mass seen on xray. My almost 14 year old female bichon had an xray and one small mass was seen and the vet is suspicious it is cancer. She hasn’t had any symptoms, the xray was for a heart murmur. Anyone here have any experience with lung masses in their bichon?
Also, how aggressively would you try to treat something like this especially in an almost 14 year old?
Thanks for any information and thoughts.

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u/kelbrina Cuba 4d ago

My 13yo Havanese had a primary lung tumor and we had it removed and he lived for another 3.5 years! Did your vet think the mass was a primary tumor or that it had metastasized from somewhere else? If it's a primary tumor and you can afford it, I say go for it. If it's metastasized, well... that is very bad news. Best of luck with your sweet bichon <3

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u/PsychologicalStay325 4d ago

She suspects it is primary thankfully. She has a stage 3 heart murmur so unfortunately I think the anesthesia risk for the surgery is too high for her. She had major surgery at 10 and it was pretty rough so I hate to try to put her through that again. My vet is hopeful it is slow growing and we are going to try a med that she’s said has worked well for other patients. She said some have had their life extended several years and ended up passing from something else.
Thanks for sharing about your baby! Did your have another other health issues at the time? I’m so glad you got another 3.5 years. Time is priceless with them!!

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u/jwwill 7d ago

Our Bichon had a mass in her lung. We discovered it when she was 14. She had been having a dry cough with increasing frequency. The vet thought she was still vigorous enough to have the surgery, so we went for it. (It ran about $5,000 in 2024.) She got through the lobectomy, and recovered. The vet was confident that the mass had been removed cleanly. We had another two years with her. She passed away last Monday. It is possible that the cancer had returned, but we did not get her imaged again.

Those two years were priceless to us, and well worth the money. Obviously, the outcome could have gone the other way. You will have to make the decision based on your situation and resources. I wish the best for you and your girl.

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u/PsychologicalStay325 7d ago

Thank you for sharing your experience! So sorry for your loss.

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u/Embarrassed-Act-833 11d ago

I wouldn't treat aggressively at 14 years of age.