Lumps on 10 year old Springer Spaniel - Remove or not?

ITstudent1213

10 year old springer spaniel has lumps near where his testicles used to be (he was neutered).

A dog groomer noticed them a few months ago but did not think too much of them (may have asked the vet at a check up about - can`t really remember).Dog groomer pointed them out again recently so went to the vet.

Vet did physical examination, all seemed ok, he also noticed some lumps on his back. Vet did blood tests which came back fine.

Vet recommends removing the lumps, which would be tested to see if benign (good) or malignant (bad).

He thinks the lumps where they are may cause the dog some discomfort.

However there is no gaurentee that the lumps on his back are related and we are also worried about going under anesthetic at his age (he is 10 - lifespan of springers is 12-14 years apparently).

Whilst he is getting old He is quite a fit dog, running around on walks and sprinting up hills when brought up the mountain. Find it hard to keep up with him on uphill bits even when I jog behind him (although on downhill bits I walk).

Does anybody have experience with lumps like this in older dogs they could share?

Thanks

strandroad

Tumours can usually be sampled and tested without removing them first.

Our older dog had two lipomas (fatty tumours, benign) removed from his leg and side at 11yo and looking back I wouldn't do it again; one of them took a lot of time to heal as it was ingrown and removing it resulted in some muscle loss. All in all he would be more comfortable just living with it until the end. Some of them can grow rapidly though and/or be uncomfortable to live with, so I'd consider removing those. You should be able to observe if they cause any difficulty in moving around, walking etc.

aonb

My elderly dog (15) has a few lumps - all age related. The vet has checked them and says as age related (mostly fatty) to leave them be - the dog certainly wouldnt have been a candidate for anaesthetic, and never if its just for 'cosmetic' reasons. He has also started to produce wart-like growths on his paws, neck etc. - age related again. If they are not causing him any discomfort I am monitoring them and leaving them alone.

You said in your post that the vet did blood tests and they came back fine, but then vet said removing the lumps to be tested if they were benign/malignant - what was checked for in the blood tests? Did the vet feel that at age 10 the dog would be a good candidate for an op? Is the vet 'suspicious' of these lumps or just being very cautious?

boomerang

On the other hand, the lumps on my friend's older dog turned out to be mast cell tumours.

IMO, best thing to do is have them removed, if they are causing discomfort. Then the choice is yours whether to have them sent to the lab for analysis after. The fact that the blood work came back with everything within normal parameters doesn't rule out the possibility that the lumps are cancerous.

dave1982

Age is the problem here but if the vet advises you remove them I'd do it.You don't want regrets afterwards.

anniehoo

While 10 is definitely senior years, he's by no means "old" as such and if he's in good health, which is evident from a good blood report then anaesthesia is not necessarily a no-go area.

Many older dogs have random lumps and bumps appear as they age and vets can often tell by feel alone if it's a lipoma (fatty lump) or something potentially more sinister.Lipomas tend to be "squishier" and move independent of the skin. If it's a lipoma a simple procedure called an FNA (fine needle aspirate) is done and doesn't even require sedation let alone anaesthesia. A needle is inserted into the lump and a small amount of it's contents are aspirated or sucked out, put on a slide and analysed under the microscope. They are made up of fat cells and are non malignant (non cancerous). Bar pinching the skin with a needle, there are no nerve endings within the lipoma itself so it's relatively painless for the animal.

If it's not, then smaller lumps are often excised for analysis by what's called a punch biopsy, which again often doesn't require a general anaesthetic, just a local one to numb the area around the lump so the dog won't feel it.

If the vet is saying they're uncomfortable for the dog, ask them what the procedure options are first as a general anaesthetic might not even be on the cards yet. If they're easily removed under local, then I'd definitely go for it.

Either way, I'd be getting them investigated if your vet advises it.

Gael23

You should keep an eye on them to see if they grow or bleed or change in any way. Other than that leave well enough alone for the time being

Gael23

We are getting these removed shortly because he's scratching them off things and they bleed and become swollen so the vet says the only real solution is to remove them.
He's 2 weeks shy of 14 so a general anaesthetic is not really an option but the vet is going to try to do it with sedation rather than full anaesthesia.

Millem

One of my dogs has these fatty lumps. 3 in total. One is big enough and two small ones. Vet says not to bother removing unless causing problems eg mobility. She is around 6 years old and they don't bother her in the slightest. I think once they get one more will grow plus if they are removed I think they pretty much grow back! I think all these lumps and bumps just come with age

Gael23

Surgery today. Will let you know how it goes