Lumps On Dogs

A Guide to Lumps on Your Dog

If you are a pet owner, you may have found lumps on your dog.  These can be very frightening if you do not know what they are.  Many people are very concerned about their pets and they treat them like family.  However, not every lump is going to be life threatening.  You are going to want to continue reading so that you can find out if your dog is sick or just suffering from a minor set back that your vet can help you deal with.

The first thing to keep in mind about lumps on your dog is that they are caused by fluid that has built up.  However, as previously mentioned, some are cancerous and some are not.  The lumps on your dog may be considered lipoma lumps and they are often found on dogs that are middle aged, female dogs that are also overweight.  They are going to be found on the stomach area and they are generally not cancerous.  You can talk to your vet about having them removed.

If you have a younger dog and you have noticed lumps around the dog’s mouth, you may be looking at warts. You really do not need to be very concerned about these warts because they will generally go away by themselves.  However, if you are not sure that you are looking at a wart, you can contact your doctor in order to verify that the lumps on your dog are actually warts and not cancerous.

A mass cell tumor may be a sign that your dog’s body has been trying to fight off something that has entered its body.  It is important to keep in mind that these may be cancerous so if your dog has suffered a bite and now has a lump, you are going to want to contact your vet and have the lump checked out.  It is better to find out if it is cancerous early so that you can get your dog treatment.

If you notice lumps on your dog you are going to want to determine the answers to a few different questions.  First of all, did it appear all of the sudden?  Second, is it attached or will it lift with the skin?  Next, is it getting larger or has it remained the same size?  Finally, is your dog acting differently?  What are the dogs eating and drinking habits currently like?  Are the different since the lump appeared?  These are all things you are going to want to talk to your vet about.

You may want to take the time to begin keeping track of the lumps on your dog.  You can take a piece of wax paper and lay it on your dogs back.  You will then be able to trace the area and trace the lump.  This is going to give you an accurate size of the lump.   You will want to place a date on the paper and place it somewhere safe.  Once you have started this routine, you will want to repeat it each month.  You will be able to determine if the lump is getting larger or smaller.  You should definitely talk to your vet if the lump is getting larger.

Your doctor is going to be able to determine if the lump on your doctor is going to need to be removed or if it is ok being left on the dog.  If you decide to have it removed, you may want to have the vet send it away for testing.  This is going to help the vet determine with 100% what you are dealing with.  This is going to make you feel better in the long run.  Once you have an accurate diagnosis you will be able to consider what treatment options are available for your dog.