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I need to talk about my dog
One of my dogs is a shepherd mix. Her breed is known for developing fatty tumors and 99% of the time these tumors are benign. My dog developed one on her back a few years ago, and the vet declared it to be no big deal. When I took her into the vet for her annual checkup a few months ago, the vet pointed out that she has another (rather large) one on her hind leg. She's had no change in mobility or activity level, so the vet said to leave it be. If it started impacting her mobility or grew larger, then I should bring her in and they'd remove it/have it biopsied.
That tumor has not gotten larger, and she is the same happy dog she normally is, but lately I've been noticing that she's developing more tumors. Another large one on her other hind leg, and one on her tummy. Should I be hitting the panic button here? Have these things removed/biopsied (which ain't exactly cheap)? The vet isn't overly concerned and is leaving the decision to me. WWYD?
Re: I need to talk about my dog
It'll start at $500 and could go into the thousands depending on the tumor(s). They'll put her under for the surgery.
I'm sorry, Bowies. This happened to my friend with his Saint Bernard. He had a few rounds of tumors removed but eventually there were so many it didn't make sense to try to remove them.
I think she'll let you know when she's ready. If removing them isn't an option, and she isn't in pain, maybe just leave her be for now. How old is she?
I don't want to alarm you, but my ILs had the same thing-- a shepard mix dog, fatty tumors, etc. They finally said "enough is enough" and took him to the vet to get them removed/biopsied. It was too late. He was so full of cancer that they couldn't do anything for him and ultimately he had to be put down.
Do they grow? Move? I'm surprised they quoted you $500 for the biopsy, they quoted us much less when our cat had a bump. I think it's totally up to you; its possible if they were cancerous the vet could remove them and everything would be ok. But it's also possible it would be an aggressive form requiring chemo. Or they could be regular fatty tumors. Our vet told us that since his bump wasn't growing it was probably just scar tissue and not to biopsy. I think if they move they're more than likely fatty tumors.
Also, lots of hugs. I hate when something is wrong with mine, my thoughts go to the worst : (
My brother's dog has a similar issue. They don't seem to be bothering him, so they're letting them go and just keeping an eye on them.
For your peace of mind, you could get a second opinion. It might make you feel better or more informed about your decision.
As it stands right now you have to decide how the removal of benign tumors would affect your pet. A second opinion is never a bad idea if you feel that it would help you make the decision. Good luck. You know how I feel about animals of course.
Our vet said the firm ones are the ones you need to be wary of. In his life, we had four cancerous (all firm) tumors removed from him.
I might be ignorant, but she would take a little scraping of the firm ones and look at them under a microscope. We didn't pay anywhere near $500 for them to be looked at. Less than $100, but it wasn't a surgical biopsy either.
I'm going to get a second opinion before I opt for surgery. I'll ask around for a good recommendation. She hasn't lost any weight and still tears around the house like a bat out of hell (she hasn't gotten the memo that she's considered a senior dog). The tumors feel fatty and they move, and she has given no indication that she's in pain. The ones I'm most concerned about are the ones on her legs, just because they're bigger and somewhat more firm. If I press on them, she just gives me a look of "are you just going to press on my legs or actually scratch them, ya azzhole?"
Honestly, I haven't thought much about the possibility that this might be bad news. Mainly because even a smidge of an idea that it might be can send me into a fit of tears. She's almost 10 years old, so she's not old-old, but she's not even remotely young either. I think I'd try surgery/chemo if it was an option.
OK, new subject, because now I'm upset.
Your puppy is fine, Bowies. I know it. She sounds very happy.
Let's dwell on your Friday spa visit instead.
My mom's basset hound had a big one on his paw, that had to be surgically removed. It was less than 500, for the removal. He's got to go home the next day, and is the same happy, handsome, floppy guy, he always was.
However if you don't have it yet, I would look into pet insurance. Since your vet says, that there's nothing to worry about right now, it should be relatively cheap to sign up, and that way if you do need to take care of some later, it might not be as expensive. I've been pricing some and some of them are around 20-30 a month.