Possible mass on dog’s side
 

Hello all,

My dog is a five year old mix (most likely Australian Shepherd and fox hound). He is approximately 55lbs. Over the past few days, I have noticed a slight bulge in is skin on his abdomen area but in front on his left back leg. I have posted a picture for reference.

I’m not sure if I’m crazy or if this is something I need to alert the vet about. Of note, he laid down in the middle of his walk the other day (highly unusual). The spot does not appear tender to him though.

Any insight or thoughts would be appreciated!

Hello, and welcome to both you and Helix!

Honestly, if this is new and his behavior is changing, I'd have a vet take a look.

You said he doesn't seem sensitive there when you press it, but if you close your eyes and rub the area or palpate it, can you feel something there? Is it hard, soft, does it move?

Thank you so much for responding!

I closed my eyes and I do feel something there. I had my roommate do it also to potentially eliminate any bias. She also said she felt something. It is hard and does not move.

Definitely get it checked out. Better safe than sorry! If you can, sending pics to the vet beforehand might be helpful, especially if your vet's clinic is still enforcing parking lot protocol where you stay in the car while they take your sweetie inside.

Please keep us posted. Sending along some good vibes that it turns out to be nothing! :goodvibes:

We have an appointment for tomorrow. My vet is practicing physical distancing so I won’t be allowed to go in. I just hope they take it seriously. I just moved 5 hours away from my old vet. So this will be a new experience.

Of note, my dog refused to walk yesterday during his morning bathroom stroll. I called the vet and they told me to take him to an emergency clinic. He was triaged and found not urgent. So we will be waiting until tomorrow evening to see the vet. He is acting normal today but yesterday was a little scary.

I will repost when we know more tomorrow.

Good luck! I'll say a prayer for Helix...and for Helix's momma!! :2huggers:

Hi there just wanted to say stay positive. I have a choc lab that is full of lumps all over her body. Thank DAWG she has just fat and no cancer. I do take her check ups very seriously though. Our vet checks her whole body. They are not pretty but as long as they are not cancer I am good with how she looks.

Recently we removed a lump that unfortunately was very very close to her anal glands. It was not cancer again but a very large lump. We chose to remove it after very careful consideration due to the location. We did scans to ensure it would not render her incontinent.

She has recovered tremendously!!

Best advise is trust your instincts and your vet and hopefully its just a fatty lump.

I have attached a photo to show how close it really was....
Please keep us posted :thumbs up

Cindy

You guys have been so incredibly sweet and comforting! Thank you so much! Helix was seen by the vet, she felt the area and decided to offer bloodwork, including to look for pancreatitis, as well as imaging (radiographs). His blood work came back normal and so did his radiographs. She said she can feel the area but it’s not a distinct mass to biopsy. So for now, I’m just keeping an eye on it.

I have been giving him new treats lately. So I am stopping those. It may be completely unrelated but stopping them won’t hurt anything either. My vet told me to take a video of him if he refuses to walk again. Thankfully, he has not.

Cindy, thank you so much for providing some comfort. I hope and pray it is just fat. I’m sorry your pup needed to have a spot removed. Though I’m sure it’s a relief knowing it wasn’t cancerous. I’m glad she recovered well and I hope she continues to thrive!

Yay! Good news, then! :grouphug:

Y'know, if you have a little time and the inclination, we sure would like to see pics of the rest of Helix. :o :)

Absolutely! I love sharing my little handsome pupper ☺️ This is Helix!

Oh, Helix, you're [B][I]adorable[/I][/B]!! :lovestruck: He's got the bestest smile!!! :dog:

Thanks for sharing, Helixs_momma!!