After seeing our dog's lump steadily grow in size over the past few years, but knowing that it was not cancerous, we decided to have the lump removed anyway. We knew that it would eventually restrict his range of motion and/or he'd be too old to have the surgery. While we thought we were prepared for the post-operative care—taking time off work, asking the vet about the surgery and what to expect—we were, in fact, not prepared.