Fatty Lump/Lipoma

AmyMay

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Daisy has a small lipoma developing on her side. It wasn’t there three weeks ago and the vet noticed it today during a non related visit. I hadn’t noticed, but now I know it’s there I can obviously feel it (not sure anyone else would at this stage).

I feel (irrationally I know) really upset about it.

Does anyone have any experience of them (good or bad).
 

Thistle

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Just keep an eye on it and if it's growing very rapidly or otherwise causing a problem see the vet. If it would put your mind at rest ask for a FNA sample to be taken (done like a jab no need for sedation or anaesthetic) and sent away for analysis to rule out any nasties.
 

AmyMay

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Just keep an eye on it and if it's growing very rapidly or otherwise causing a problem see the vet. If it would put your mind at rest ask for a FNA sample to be taken (done like a jab no need for sedation or anaesthetic) and sent away for analysis to rule out any nasties.

She’ll be under anaesthetic in two weeks time for a cyst to be removed from her head, so will speak to them about taking a sample then. Thanks x
 

blackcob

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My old girl was more lipoma than dog as she aged, including some really massive ones. I did have the first couple taken off when she was younger but they generally do no harm unless they impinge on movement and I left the rest be after that.

You are very much allowed to feel wibbly! An FNA might set your mind at rest about the nature of it.
 

FinnishLapphund

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I've had dogs who developed several fatty lumps as they got old, and some that didn't.
As an example, Blomma's mother Jonna, was as far as I can recall never really overweight a day in her life, and she still had a small collection of fatty lumps spread out over her body when she died.

Blomma's sister Beata, did a few times maybe go up one or two kilos over her ideal weight for shortish periods of time before I managed to get her down to around ideal weight again. She had maybe 1 or 2 fatty lumps when she died.

Blomma who I have struggled to keep in ideal weight for most of her life, currently needs to lose at least 2 kilos. She was above ideal weight early last Autumn, I increased our walks, she dropped a little weight, but when Winter came I had developed heel spurs in both feet, so for a period it's mainly been my mum that have walked 4 short walks per day with her, and she gained a little more weight. 1 week ago, unrelated to her weight gain, her veterinarian wanted her to try a different food, but though I've been so careful with the dosage, I discovered earlier today at the vet clinic that she's still gone up a few grams more.
Yet, she doesn't seem to have any fatty lumps.
But she have a few warts/papillomas.


Keep a little eye on it. If it starts to clearly change form, shape, or texture, then maybe go back, and ask the veterinarian to look at it again. Otherwise, if it looks like a fatty lump, feels like a fatty lump, and behaves like a fatty lump, it probably is a fatty lump. As Blackcob said, fatty lumps in generally cause no harm, and unless they impinge on her mobility, there's no reason to try and do anything about them.

P.s. Completely irrelevant but my dad have for many years now had a somewhat big fatty lump on his back (not quite, but almost like a teacup in size).
 
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tda

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Our middle terrier has two, one small on his front leg, one larger, about 50p size on his hind leg. He did start licking it a lot a while ago, vet visit and antibiotics and it's settled down again. Vet said it was a bad place for healing due to movement so I'm just ignoring it for now. He is 13 now so I wouldn't like to put him thru surgery anyway
 

Christmascinnamoncookie

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I nearly had a heart attack when Brig developed one right after Jake was pts after his cancer diagnosis. When we’d had Bear checked for several, I stopped panicking, although we did have 3 that were impeding movement removed. They’re kind of obvious when you’re used to them, often irregular in shape, easily moveable, you almost think you could just pop them out.
 

Red-1

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Yes, Hector got one a few months ago. he is old so we had a discussion with the vet and decided to take no action.

I hate it as I love Hector and, although I know he is old, I can't bear to think this this is the beginning of the end. I can't imagine the house without Hector.

It is not the lump itself that is upsetting, it is facing his mortality and that is beyond bearing.

92539767_10216977818661681_4190933494349692928_n.jpg
 

ArklePig

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I have no advice to offer Amy but I really hope that Daisy is okay and that like others here, her lumps are no cause for concern.
 

AmyMay

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I have no advice to offer Amy but I really hope that Daisy is okay and that like others here, her lumps are no cause for concern.

Bless you, thanks. She’s fine. I just was upset yesterday about it. I think as Red said above it’s about facing her mortality (although she’s only 9, but another sign that she’s getting older).

Thanks all for commenting. Obviously I’ll keep a close eye, with fingers firmly crossed that it doesn’t get any bigger, or at least cause any issues if it does xx
 

scats

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Sending a hug Amymay x

Id convinced myself that JD had something awful when we took her to the vet a while ago over some lumps. Vet thinks they are either cysts or fatty lumps, but said we’d have to test them to find out, as they aren’t in normal fatty lump places, but I decided not to for now. She is 14 in May and I am trying to prepare myself for the inevitable at some point, but at the same time I want to hope she’ll last for many more years. I get sad when I see how ‘old’ she is now, and I remember her wild younger days.

Daisy is a very lucky dog to have you, I love following your adventures with her x
 

Christmascinnamoncookie

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Yes, Hector got one a few months ago. he is old so we had a discussion with the vet and decided to take no action.

I hate it as I love Hector and, although I know he is old, I can't bear to think this this is the beginning of the end. I can't imagine the house without Hector.

It is not the lump itself that is upsetting, it is facing his mortality and that is beyond bearing.

View attachment 107721
Bless you, thanks. She’s fine. I just was upset yesterday about it. I think as Red said above it’s about facing her mortality (although she’s only 9, but another sign that she’s getting older).

Thanks all for commenting. Obviously I’ll keep a close eye, with fingers firmly crossed that it doesn’t get any bigger, or at least cause any issues if it does xx

Bear will be 13 this year, he hasn’t had any more recently, nor have they grown. The big three we had removed all grew quite large, not sure why these haven’t. Brig had his at 7 and was very lively until he lost his back end at 14, so don’t think it’s necessarily the beginning of the end. I know what you mean, it’s a sign of inevitable ageing 😢 He has outstanding ears!
 

TRECtastic

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Our previous dog Megan developed a few fatty lumps on her belly from about the age of 8 , vet was happy with them to be left alone as they weren't bothering her
Our beagle has just gone 10 and has a few now
I'm sure daisy will be fine but as others have said it's sad sign of aging, but hopefully won't stop them having fun and enjoying life
 

Squeak

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Yes, Hector got one a few months ago. he is old so we had a discussion with the vet and decided to take no action.

I hate it as I love Hector and, although I know he is old, I can't bear to think this this is the beginning of the end. I can't imagine the house without Hector.

It is not the lump itself that is upsetting, it is facing his mortality and that is beyond bearing.

View attachment 107721

It's exactly this for me too Red, I can't bare that she's getting older, I so wish that they could live with us forever.

Amymay my older girl has some too, as a friends dog had just been diagnosed with cancer I had them tested and they were just fatty lumps, I was pleased I'd checked though as it put my mind at ease about them. At various times they have burst but usually antibiotics have sorted them, I had one that I let the vets take out as she was under GA for something else anyway and it wasn't worth the risk of two GA's.
 

Bellasophia

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I’ve just booked today for next week..lipoma( biopsied sebaceous) on the neck,but recently growing hard and larger..on my st poodle boy.(10yrs old)
Vet says he will have a light sedation and be right as rain after a few days.
We’d left it alone for a good while ,but he’s started to scratch at it(with hind leg) and it’s clearly bothering him.
If the dog is not troubled by the lump,I’d simply have it biopsied so you know what it is and go from there.
 
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