my dog is about 17 years old and he has a lump on his side and it is soft. one of my friends said that her old dog had it and they had told her its fatty tissue....any clue to what it might be and what should we do? besides the vet
BUT....BUT................. I think he's to old too go to the vet and put him through all that
2007-01-13 04:35:34 · 18 answers · asked by hkirishmen 1 in Pets ➔ Dogs
If you really care for your dog, the $50 vet exam is worth it. Whether or not you intend to do anything for your dog after that is entirely up to you.
It may be a Lipoma. Lipoma's are one of the most commonly encountered lumps seen by veterinarians during a physical exam. These soft, rounded, non-painful masses, usually present just under the skin but occasionally arising from connective tissues deep between muscles, are generally benign. That is they stay in one place, do not invade surrounding tissues and do no metastasize to other areas of the body. They grow to a certain size and just sit there in the tissues and behave themselves. Most lipomas do not “have” to be removed. Occasionally, though, lipomas will continue to grow into huge fat deposits that are a discomfort to the dog and present a surgical challenge to remove.
Not every lump or bump on a dog will be a tumor. Some superficial bumps are due simply to plugged oil glands in the skin, called sebaceous cysts. Skin cysts can be composed of dead cells or even sweat or clear fluid; these often rupture on their own, heal, and are never seen again. Others become chronically irritated or infected and should be removed.
2007-01-13 04:39:44 · answer #1 · answered by mistresscris 5 · 0⤊ 2⤋
I have a dog that is 13 and she has several of those. My wife is a vet tech and took her in and they removed a couple of them and sent them to a lab to be tested to see if it was cancer and they came back negative. It sounds like the same deal with your dog just fatty tissue and at 17 years old I don't think the vet would even operate to remove them to see. We do give her medication for her muscles so she not so stiff and can walk better.
2007-01-13 12:49:25 · answer #2 · answered by shawn 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Does your dog seem to feel pain when the lump is touched or manipulated in any way? I just had to put my 14 yr. old dog to sleep (due to kidney problems) and she had two of these soft, squishy spots on her. They didn't seem to hurt her and my vet said thay they were fatty deposits. My sister's elderly dog has them too and her vet said the same thing.
I don't want to mislead you if for some reason they could be problematic for your dog, but I think with your dog's age, etc. you should let it go as a fatty deposit. Who wants to put their old dog through hell if they are happy and for the most part, healthy.
Enjoy your dog for as long as you can. My dog hasn't been gone for that long, and I miss her terribly. Good luck! :)
2007-01-13 12:46:52 · answer #3 · answered by velma007 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
My golden retriever had one and vet told us that it was a fatty tumor and it was about the size of your palm. He told us that it was not bothering him and the vet was not going to do anything. He told that it will go down but if it gets any bigger then he would have to do surgery on it.. I would not worry, just take him to the vet and get him check out it might be something else since you have an old dog. I think the vet might give you medicine to make it go down. Whatever you do DO NOT POP IT, if you pop it bacterial will get inside the open skin and cause more problems.
2007-01-13 12:43:10 · answer #4 · answered by Trumpetgirl913 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I understand that your dog is 17, however, I would just have the vet take a look at the lump and see what he thinks.
2007-01-13 20:50:14 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
he's too old to be examined by a vet? i have never heard this. start at your vet for God's sake. no one on here is going to be able to tell you what it is. many dogs live just fine without having surgery if it is a fatty tumor. as long as the tumor doesn't grow to the size to restrict movement, he might be fine. but you'll never know until a vet examines the dog and tells you the answer. take him to the vet.
2007-01-13 12:40:44 · answer #6 · answered by cagney 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
could be fatty tissue, my aunt had a dog with a tumor on her head.dogs are never to old for a vet visit.better to have it checked out ,dont worry vets are helpful.goodluck.
2007-01-13 12:41:25 · answer #7 · answered by texas nanna 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Vet, vet, vet.
This is for the SAFETY OF YOUR DOG. You do not know what the lump is, you do not know if your dog is in pain. For the love of God, take the pup to the vet for an absolute answer.
2007-01-13 12:38:24 · answer #8 · answered by shute210@sbcglobal.net 2 · 2⤊ 1⤋
If you are that concerned about the lump get him to the vet and let the vet make that determination!
2007-01-13 12:55:15 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
The kindest thing for your old and faithful friend is a trip to the vet, and have the problem looked at.
2007-01-13 12:42:09 · answer #10 · answered by rider59 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋