Why does my older dog have a new lump that feels like a muscle?

There are numerous causes of lumps on a dog Sheba's age, and not all are worrisome. Dogs can develop non-cancerous lumps like cysts, seromas (pockets of fluid), abscesses, and bruises. Some of these can go away after being drained by a veterinarian. Dogs can also develop lipomas, which are benign fatty tumors, that generally do not cause problems. Some owners elect to remove them and some monitor them at home. The best way to figure out what is going on is to take Sheba in to have your vet examine her and possibly do a fine needle aspirate of this lump, which involves sticking a small needle into the lump and trying to remove cells/fluid. These cells/fluid can then be examined under the microscope to help determine what the lump is made of and how it needs to be treated.

You are correct that this lump could be a fatty tumor, but given that he was attacked by a dog last week, it could be an abscess. Another possibility is a cyst. Given his age, it's quite unlikely Bugs has a malignant tumor. It's a good idea to have him seen by a vet :-)

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! As dogs age, they can develop a variety of skin tumors, some benign (non-cancerous) and others cancerous. I do recommend all abnormal growths be evaluated by a veterinarian to determine if they are an issue or not. Many of these can be diagnosed with an analysis of a needle sample. Good luck!

Hi there! The thing that comes to mind when you describe Bear's skin condition are sebaceous cysts-a common but unbothersome condition many of our pets face. They may spontaneously resolve or "pop" and dry up, but usually more will form. Small mast cell tumors, plasmacytomas, etc can also present similarly but are less common. I hope this helps! As always, if they begin to bother your buddy, take him in to see your regular veterinarian and they can sample the nodules to find out exactly what they are. Best to you and Bear!

Given that Bear is an older, intact female, it would be prudent to have her examined by your veterinarian. The vet can perform a simple fine needle aspirate to collect a sample for pathology. The lump may be a mass (benign or malignant) or it could be local irritation/infection.

This growths on Teddy could be benign, but in a senior dog, there is always a chance that they would be malignant. Any suspicious lumps should be examined by the vet. The vet can perform a test called a fine needle aspirate on it. To do this, the vet sticks a small needle into the lump to get a sample of it's cells, and examines the cells on a slide under a microscope. It's usually painless to the animal, and relatively quick to perform. I'd give your vet a call to make an appointment to have these growths examined and diagnosed so they can be treated if needed. Best of luck, I hope this helps.

Hello there from across the pond! Lumps and bumps on older dogs are fairly typical and are to be expected with an older pet. By and large, lumps and bumps that are round, smooth, and/or freely movable generally speaking are not causes for alarm. However, lumps and bumps that become red, inflamed, warm to the touch, itchy, have rough edges, are rapidly growing, or have discharge coming from them need to be looked at by a veterinarian and have them assessed. Regardless, I would recommend your veterinarian take a look at Chester and take small sample of the small mass he has and look at it under a microscope. From there, your vet can determine the nature of the mass and if it is concerning. You may also discuss surgical removal of the small mass if that is recommended by your vet. I hope this has helped!