I found this big lump on my dog, Lucy, just inside her back leg. Naturally I panicked thinking it was cancer, so I took her to a new emergency vet (it was a Sunday) and they took a biopsy, blood, urine etc. etc… racked up a bill of 600 dollars. I later got the good news it was just a fatty mass.
At her next regular check up, my vet says “Oh, I see Lucy has a fat deposit on her leg….”. I guess my point is, DON’T PANIC. Although they can be unsightly, they are normally harmless, and there are steps you can take to reduce the size.
Does any one else have experience with these lumps on your dog??
I just put my border collie down. It really stinks! He was a great dog THE GREATEST :-). We miss him so much and are trying to remember the best times. We went camping without him and came home to a very sick dog lymph nodes were huge front of neck and under hind 1/4s. Dr. Explained that they just popped out, but was sick long before. SO VERY SAD
thanks shannon – i thought she was slowing down so i’ve beefed up her walks…. she’s become more energetic on her walks, actually keeping up with my 2 year old!
It’s hard not to panic because our dogs can’t tell us if they are in pain. However, I’ve found that I spend a lot more money through panic than if I just wait things out. We need to use our guts and not our “freak out” nerves.
Glad Lucy is alright!
My Lucy is just 10…. I happened to be in the car with a friend this morning and brought up the subject, and he told me this awful story of how his childhood dog had a mass also, diagnosed as simply fat, but later became cancerous and his pet succumbed to cancer…….I’m trying my best to get Lucy’s weight down, walks every day , calorie reduced food, less treats etc….. ultimately, for either scenario though, what can we do for them? if it’s bad news we hold them and love them, if it’s just a fat mass, we manage it for them…… i’ve have researched a lot, but haven’t found too many happy endings for these lumps once they turn to cancer…. if anyone has i’d love to hear about it!!!!!
One of my Labs has eight of the fat deposits. They come more as she gets older (12 now). Other than not being very attractive, she’s none the worse for wear. On the other hand, we lost a 7 year old Lab to lymphoma. It appeared very quickly and was limited to areas immediately around his rear leg joints. They weren’t as large as the fat lumps.
I know you’re right Jess.. this lump has been there about 2 years now… i ‘ve just noticed it’s starting to get bigger….. her one leg looks like a turkey’s leg….she’s about the size of a beagle and her left leg is over-sized…. it hasn’t bothered her walking until just lately and now she’s having trouble with stairs…. she’s 10 years old this Christmas. Today she tried to jump up on the couch and didn’t make it….. it’s so sad to see them this way, but otherwise, she’s still smiling 🙂
I would always worry about any lump. The vet found a lump on my dogs back leg and it was lymphoma. Turns out Border Collies are prone to it whether or not they are mixed or not. She had always developed noncancerous tumors so when my boyfriend felt then ones on her back legs I wasn’t to concerned till I took her to the vet anyways and they knew what it was before doing any tests. So please always be aware..