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We had a dog who had a huge fatty tumor mass on her hip. When she was middle-aged we had about 5 pounds of tissue removed. Aside from the surgery being very hard on her, it grew back and then some. She was really a sight. If your dog is comfortable, I would leave it alone.
I'm going through this with my Golden now. She is a rescue dog, and we think she is 8 or 9 yo. The tumor is on her back leg. I had it aspirated a year or so ago and it was benign. I was told it was best to leave it alone and we'd keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn't interfer with the joint.
She had her routine exam last week. The tumor has grown. It slides back and forth easily. This time the vet talked about surgery. He needed to talk to a surgeon. He left a message on my machine saying the the surgeon said it could be done. She will have a bandage splint for several weeks after. One of my concerns was that we have stairs in the house. He dr said she will need help with the stairs.
The tumor doesn't seem to bother the dog. She lays on both sides, and she doesn't seem to be compensating in any of her movements. I keep going back and forth with it. I don't want to take any chance with her health, but I'm afraid the surgery might do more harm than good.
My older golden boy has lypomas (maybe it's spelled with an I, but I am too tired to care about checking) all over him. He will be 11 next month, so I would never consider getting them off now, but 2 years ago, he had one removed from the side of his 'wrist' area and I really wanted to have the 2 bigger (not very big at the time) masses removed since he was going to be under any ways, but the vet advised against it, and now working for a vet myself, I am glad I didn't do it even though they have grown slightly. They are in spots that would not heal well (as is the one I saw in the picture with the chocolate lab) due to the movement of the area, and in that case, the fact that every time the dog lies down, the would rub on the floor, the healing process would be slow, and probably not too pretty. However, that being said, if the mass has grown really significantly in a relatively short period of time, I would at least have it aspirated again and make sure it is still just a fatty tumor.
Good luck...know you are not alone. All of us with senior labs and the like probably have this issue whether we know it or not
Thank you, Turtle. I'm am going to have him aspirate again. I checked my records and found that it has been two years since I found the tumor and had it checked. I don't know if I should consider it "fast growing" or not.
The vet is away for two weeks. I plan to ask for the pro's and con's of leaving it vs removing it. One of my concerns is the recup period. He said she would have a "bandage splint" for several weeks. I've searched the 'net hoping to see an example of that. I live alone and cannot pick her up. I wonder if she will be able to bear weight on that leg. He said she will need help getting up the stairs, I need to have more specifics.
I just keep worrying that I will make the wrong decision.
my lab is 9 and we just had 9 fatty tumors removed at xmas only because one was causeing discomfort at his leg and it turned out to be the size of a grapefriut hidden in the cavity of his chest ---now he has a very large one on his hip and it wraps around his inner thigh and will cost me 3500 dollars to have surgery which could have been taken care of when the others were done but now it is endangering him due to being to close to his main artery and wrapd around his muscle. Sooooo watch it carefully because now my lab is hindered in his mobility and will have a shorter life because I can't pay that much and no vet in my area will do it for a reduced cost. I love him dearly but can't spend this kind of money for a 9 year old with only approximately 5 yrs left.
My dog age 7 a white shepard and terrier mix has a fat mass on his chest. DO NOT LAUGH! It looks like a man boobie! I had it looked at and the did a needle biopsy but said it is not cancerous. We have thought about removing it numerous times. My neighbors and friends now refer to him and booby boy! I do not think it hurts him and it is not bugging him so we are leaving him alone for now. I will just keep taking the public humiliation.
Hi all, I just now realized today that there is more to this forum than the state boards!
So here's my question. We have a almost 12 yr old Lab. They are prone to fatty tumors and he started developing a fairly large one on his upper leg. We took him to the vet and they said it was not cancerous and that because of his age he may not do well under general anesthesia to remove it.
Well now it is sooooo gross. It's almost as big as a baseball and kind of jiggles around as he walks. It makes me want to vomit and no one can take their eyes off of it.
We are going to have it looked at again but if you were us, would you take your chances and have it removed if it still comes back non-cancerous?
Thanks!
I have a 17 year old Jack Russell who had the same problem, and the same statement from the Vet. I don't want to take a chance of him going down to remove something that will not hurt him so we just try to ignore it. At this age he seems to sleep all the time anyway.
hi all, i just now realized today that there is more to this forum than the state boards!
So here's my question. We have a almost 12 yr old lab. They are prone to fatty tumors and he started developing a fairly large one on his upper leg. We took him to the vet and they said it was not cancerous and that because of his age he may not do well under general anesthesia to remove it.
Well now it is sooooo gross. It's almost as big as a baseball and kind of jiggles around as he walks. It makes me want to vomit and no one can take their eyes off of it.
We are going to have it looked at again but if you were us, would you take your chances and have it removed if it still comes back non-cancerous?
Thanks!
i've seen dogs with large fatty tumors like your talking about. It doesn't hurt them, so why put them through the pain of surgery when its an older dog? My rottie had several small fatty tumors.
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) all over him. He will be 11 next month, so I would never consider getting them off now, but 2 years ago, he had one removed from the side of his 'wrist' area and I really wanted to have the 2 bigger (not very big at the time) masses removed since he was going to be under any ways, but the vet advised against it, and now working for a vet myself, I am glad I didn't do it even though they have grown slightly. They are in spots that would not heal well (as is the one I saw in the picture with the chocolate lab) due to the movement of the area, and in that case, the fact that every time the dog lies down, the would rub on the floor, the healing process would be slow, and probably not too pretty. However, that being said, if the mass has grown really significantly in a relatively short period of time, I would at least have it aspirated again and make sure it is still just a fatty tumor.
