Shamas has a lump

Shamas mom

Shamas mom

Location
Canada
Shamas has a lump on his belly. It's not very big, but it itches him. I noticed it because he was scratching his belly when he come in from outside.

We don't have insurance on him, but we're going to have him vetted shortly. Anyone know what I can expect?

The lump is not causing him pain-he doesn't flinch if I touch it, nor does he favour the area. He seems to think that inspection of the lump is an excuse for belly rubs. It's about pea-sized, and it moves under the skin. I'm expecting a Fine needle aspiration, at the very least to diagnose what type of lump it is. His appetite is good, and he's not irritable. It's just there.
 
Oberon

Oberon

Location
Canberra, Australia
Good that you’ve seen it and can get it checked out. In my experience vets usually do a FNA (fine needle aspiration) if the lump is big enough, and it sounds like this one is big enough to get a sample from. Some can be diagnosed by that alone. Most doggie lumps I’ve experienced haven’t needed any intervention, but our first dog had one that needed removing (no FNA done on that as it was diagnosed from appearance only as a skin cancer).

Take a photo of if now for the Vet in case he alters its appearance with scratching.
 
Shamas mom

Shamas mom

Location
Canada
Ill try..You can barely even see it. If he's not been scratching, I'd have missed it. I was checking for fleas.

Might have to use clippers and shave the area to find it again..

It seems a lot like a cyst I had a few years back...it got itchy as it filled up but hasn't bothered me since it was drained by the dr
 
Oberon

Oberon

Location
Canberra, Australia
Sounds pretty small. If you can't find it don't worry about the pic :)

Obi has a tiny, harmless cyst on his head that sometimes gets itchy and he scratches at it. It's a sebaceous cyst. Very small and not easy to find. Honestly, there are so many different lumps that dogs can sprout! They seem to specialise in it :)
 
Beanwood

Beanwood

Administrator
Lumps are such a worry. Has he been bitten by something do you think? Casper had a small movable lump, but it was bigger than pea size more brussel sprout. He has a FNA and it turned out to be a fatty lump not uncommon in dogs over 6 years old. Benson did have a pea size lump, but it turned out to be a tick that I had manhandled a bit too roughly on removal.
Hope its nothing, and it probably is nothing... :)
 
snowbunny

snowbunny

Location
Andorra and Spain
Definitely right to have it checked over, but like the others I'm sure it will be nothing. Ginny is quite a lumpy girl; I have mapped all her lumps so I will know if others crop up, or if they change at all. It's always a worry but these things are normally non-events and quite common, especially as they get a bit older.
I am no vet, but I seem to remember someone saying that it was always a good sign if the lump moved freely when you pushed it, and that the more worrying ones were the ones that seemed attached.
 
Beanwood

Beanwood

Administrator
snowbunny said:
I am no vet, but I seem to remember someone saying that it was always a good sign if the lump moved freely when you pushed it, and that the more worrying ones were the ones that seemed attached.
Click to expand...
Yes, mostly lumps that move freely is because they are encapsulated and insular. The "fixed" ones are usually because they have infiltrated other structures. A very general rule of thumb though!
 
Shamas mom

Shamas mom

Location
Canada
A bite is a possibility. He likes to roll in the long grass at the tracks.

My dad says fatty lump, based on description.....working on timing an appointment between shifts now~ hubby on nights and sleeps days, I'm on days. Vet's running limited summer hours. It might come own to seeing the cat's vet instead, as Shamas vet is a 30 min drive, and Matt's is a 30min walk...but he's always trying to push us to spend more and we prefer Dr firth. He's far more professional.
 
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