Concerning lump?

I am in Arizona and I took Tegan for the weekend. I was just lying on the
bed with him rubbing him down, something I rarely get to do because of
how jealous Lyla (my great dane) gets. So I was rubbing his sides and I went to feel his
ribs to see how much fat he has left to lose (previous threads I have talked about how he was 38lbs at the vet and I want to see him back down at 30 max...)

On this left ride, along his rib cage is a mass the size of my palm (im a
small girl but thats still big...) that is circular and moves with
palpation. I rubbed and moved it a lot and he didn't seem to notice what
so ever. Is it just a mass of fat that bubbled up? Or could it be
something really serious?

Regardless I AM taking him to the vet as soon as I get home, but in the
mean time I wanted to see what you all had as suggestions/things to look
for/ideas as to what this could be. I am really worried now...

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Permalink Reply by Jane Christensen on March 27, 2010 at 8:00pm

I can't say but dogs do get fatty tumors...that are just benign. I would take him to the vet also! Good luck and let us know!

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Permalink Reply by Beth on March 27, 2010 at 8:21pm

I would take him to the vet asap, as you said.

You probably already know this, but to see if it moves freely (as opposed to just jiggling) you need to get your fingers way down to the base of it and see if it appears to be attached to muscle/tissue, or totally free.

I do not mean to alarm you, just to prepare you, but my elderly cat had a huge painless mass that went from not there one day, to the size of a small egg the next day, and it turned out to be cancer, attached to the outside of her abdominal wall. The reason it grew so large so fast was that it filled with fluid. The outcome was not good; she was gone within 6 weeks. Again, I don't want to horrify you---- she was over 16 and had she been younger, she could have had surgery and chemo and might very well have recovered.

Considering Tegan's age, it's MUCH more likely it's a cyst or fatty tumor. Much, much more likely. But days can make a difference, so if it were me I'd make an appointment for the day after I got back.

My warmest thoughts and hopes are with you and Tegan.