Soft lump on dog foreleg.....

[Buttons2]

Rags has very long legs,he has a lump about 2" in diameter on front of his leg,it feels soft-like there's fluid inside. It just appeared all of a sudden yesterday,still there this morning but not any larger. He lets me feel it without showing it hurts or anything.

Any thoughts? Should I just keep an eye on it? It doesn't seem to affect his ability to run. Could it be an embedded tick? I can't SEE anything but that might not mean much.....it's more like a boil I believe.

Advice welcome-especially if it's something that doesn't mean a vet trip! Do ya think a tumor could just suddenly appear like this? I play ball with him everyday, I would have noticed this 2 days ago if it had been there! It's right on the bone on his front leg-the long part,which for him is about 10".

Thanks for any help-much appreciated!
Buttons:(

[Cry Tears]

Can be from anything.
Labs are notorious for these...my black Lab, Satin...no not Satan, the devil, its Satin, like soft material!
Anyway...Satin had a lump that grew fast....first vet put her in light sleep, to biopsy this, worried could be cancer...but wasn't.
That cost almost $800!
Then few years later, vet change...the lump came back.
Husband dealt with this...took Satin is, put her in light sleep for biopsy!
DUH! Didn't need this done AGAIN to same tumour! But, I forgot!
My mind is missing a few cogs these days...anyway...you guessed it!
Anotheer $800 vet bill for nothing!
She is on long term anti biotics for the skin problems...cost $50 month for this and her thyroid meds...this dog has one foot in the grave and other 3 paws on slippery banana peels!
She's so old...slowing down...now having congestive heart failure.
Vet told me 2 months ago to get my heart prepared for her loss.
This is heartbreaking to me...I've got so much going on....and now I'm losing my her. She was my service dog, when I had the severe anemia...didn't want to die alone, my family had all deserted me during this time...sister betrayed me convincing all to leave me...that I was faking illness...yeah right! Can't fake EMG and NC test! But oh well...her bi-polar drives this.
Anyway....I'm going to lose my best freind pretty soon.
I'll just have to deal with her loss one day at a time.
I won't miss all the shedding fur tho...its been very hard problem dealing with her massive shedding year round.
Had no idea Labs shed THAT much....we vacuum several times a day, if not it gets too hairy around here! Is sad when ya have fatigue and pain.
Blessings to all. Cheryl

[Buttons2]

Would a tumor be soft? I'm trying to think back to the Bouvier's skin cancer,we had 5-6 lesions removed (the groomer found these),she had such long double layer fur that we never "saw" anything on her.

I'm going to wait this out,keep an eye on it & see if it's growing. Holiday's are not the best time to get vet care around here.......the sun is out,so is everyone else!

Or try to snag the vet when he goes by on his bicycle!:rolleyes: (He lives about a mile from us).

Please say some doggie prayers that this is NOT a tumor,no way can I afford that kind of vet care! I thought mutts were supposed to be healthy!:eek:

Cheryl, I think Satin's horrid shedding is from the thyroid condition & old age. Possibly even the anti-biotics,think how some of those affect humans,yellow teeth,etc. Breaks down the immune system!

Satin is still needed right now......hold off on doggie heaven awhile yet!

[annelb]

Lypomas are not unusual. These are soft fatty, non cancerous tumors. Of course I can't tell you that is what your dog has, but it is a possibiltiy. I have one. My dog KC has a few on her belly.
Anne

[Buttons2]

Thanks for the replies. I'll just keep watching it to see if it enlarges or seems to cause Rags any distress.

I've read that a tick infested can raise up to a grape size knot,this is much larger than a grape,more like a banty egg?

Trying to not worry about this!

[joy]

i'm watching this thread and hoping to read that it is nothing to worry about, that the bumps are gone. Banty egg size would be quite a large bump, even if it was a tumor type thing (I'm thinking anyway). so maybe that is not what it is!

edited to add that thing sounds like those awful thing that used to pop up on top of my wrists. the things that doctors would tell you to whack with a big book! I never was brave enough to try that but did scrape one against the top of freezer door one time and sure enough, popped it & it was gone!!

[Buttons2]

Joy, what you are referring to is called a gangolian cyst (think I spelled it right), that's exactly what it looks like. Rags is such a clutz that he might have ran against something @ 30mph & hit that bone.:eek: I've never had one of these cysts but do know others' that have, and yes-they can be popped with heavy pressure.

Here's another weirdy thing.....his fur is turning creme color on his back hips! Maybe he's even younger than we thought & just now showing his true colors? Hey,maybe he's part wolf!:rolleyes:

Housemate just came back with wrong flea/tick med so will start another thread.....

[Buttons2]

Well taking Rags to the vet tomorrow for the lump,it has grown & my housemate claims he's limping......I don't know about that but I do want to know what this is.

Please say prayers for Rags,he's only had a good home the past 1 1/2 yrs. I sure don't want to lose him!

Will update after I revive from the vet bill tomorrow.
Buttons

[joy]

I said a prayer for it to be just a harmless cyst or something of the sort. Let us know how it turns out.

[Cry Tears]

Hi Buttons...oh man...I pray this is nothing more than some pesky bug.
Satins had her lump biopsy'd twice now in several years now...think 3+ years now and she STILL Has it...
Is nothing more than some long technical word for lumps that Labrodores get.
I've spent over $2,000 on the one lump so far!
I was so dumb...hubby took Satin to a diff vet...
I forgot to tell him I'd already spent a $1,000 on THAT lump year before...now how dumb is this?
But I've got soooo much going on in my life...so no wonder.
So much for 2 very skilled vets...Satin still has big lump!:confused:
But she does NOT limp from this...so tells Rags lump is different.
But it does bother her as she licks it all the time and it "weeps".
Its a 2+ inch round lump on top of her paw. Its not bloody, but oozes serum.

I pray is nothing horribly wrong with Rags lump....Lord...you made these animals for us to love and care for...
please have mercy on Rags,and may this be nothing more than a silly lump...
then PLEASE GOD.... heal his lump!
Buttons...thats all we can do...leave this in higher Hands than ours!
Keep us posted...asap when you find out...we're here for you, always!
Blessings, cheryl

[Buttons2]

Thank you both,you are dear cyber friends. I want to share this information in the hopes it will save at least one dogs life.

Of course I went to dog forums when the lump on Rags first appeared. I did alot of research. I didn't research FAST GROWING TUMORS however. Might have been a big mistake!

Rags lump appeared overnight-literally!This is the first alert.....get to a vet! I thought it was a "fatty tumor". Now I'm waiting for a biopsy report to tell me if this is cancer or not. The vet did the best he could to remove all the tumor.

My fear right now is that this is "mast cell",one of the fast growing tumors on legs. My recent research after gettin back from the vet had one site that said mast cell tumors are firm,the tumor Rags has is (was) soft. So there's my hope.

I was foolish,I should have taken him to the vet in July. I'll never forgive myself for putting money before my faithful dog. And please don't assume your dog has a harmless fatty tumor,if it comes on suddenly-get to the vet!

I'll update Monday,vet said he would call ASAP.

Thanks for the prayers.....another positive on Rags side is his age,he's still young,most malignant tumors are middle age to old.

[annelb]

I am so sorry to hear that the diagnosis was not a benign tumor. Let us know what the vet says about treatment. Hope the tumor is localized.

My dog has multiple, soft masses under her skin. Perhaps I should insist on a biopsy even though the vet thought they were lymphomas.
Anne

[Buttons2]

Sorry I didn't have time to post earlier,I've been out of town.

Rags is lucky,his tumor wasn't malignant. I suggest to anyone with concern about a lump-get to the vet,have a needle biopsy done (would be much cheaper than surgery & less stress for yourself & your dog).

Rags has 12 staples in his leg,so far everything looks good & he hasn't chewed out any staples! He's a tough dog.

Had this been cancerous I would have refused radiation. I would have gone for the predizone treatment instead. This is just something I had already decided based on my research. The steroids are considered chemo for dogs.

And I want to add that cancer is the #1 killer of dogs aside from being ran over by a vehicle! I had no idea it was so prevalent,did you?

Our dogs will never eat grain filled dog food or treats again. Dogs are carnivores,they are not meant to eat grain. The grain free dogfood we are using is VERY expensive,but I figure it's much cheaper than vet bills! I also give the dogs people food,meat,veggies.

Hope some of this story helps other's in the future.....Buttons

[annelb]

WOW! I am so happy to hear that the tumor was benign. For some reason I misread your post and thought you had said it was malignant. What wonderful news that Rags is OK.

Hope Rags does well on the no grain diet. Although there is rice in my dogs food, she is doing great without the other grains.

Give your Rags a scratch behind the ear for me :D
Anne

[Buttons2]

Update,
Rags did very well getting those staples out. Vet told me the type of tumor & of course I forgot! Wasn't mast cell though. It might come back,was on a main artery in the leg so vet had to be extra careful with the surgery.....I said I hope we don't have to return until spring when shots are due again. also commented how I got a mutt to avoid this kind of thing & lot of good that did!

I asked the vet if he would have used Predizone if tumor had been cancerous,he indicated he does use that but I got the impression he doesn't go for extensive cancer treatment.

Well hopefully no more vet visits for awhile. I learned alot. And Rags has been through more than his fair share so far in his life. When I adopted him he still had a drain tube from the surgery of the Pit Bull attack & staples in his ears,he was one pathetic looking dog back then! Now he's gained weight (104#),his coat is nice and glossy,he has a wonderful place to run & another doggie & cat for company. And sticks to me like glue!

Happy ending & I thank God for this. I sure didn't want to lose him!
Buttons

[annelb]

I love happy endings :D :cool:
Anne