Dog has a burst growth, lost weight. Should I get a second opinion?

Hello, sorry to hear about Sophia. It looks like it could be a hemangioma (benign), however given her age and the appearance of the tumor, there is also a chance it could be more aggressive such as hemangiosarcoma (malignant). It would likely need to be removed and sent for biopsy to confirm/rule-out the presence of cancer. If you feel like your primary care veterinarian did not answer all of your questions, then you may indeed seek a second opinion. The appearance of this mass does warrant further diagnostics of it, especially if this mass has developed suddenly. These masses as they continue to grow, may occasionally bleed intermittently or have discharge. Hope this helps and best of luck.

Putting Frank down is a permanent decision. Before you do that you may want to consider a second opinion with a veterinary specialist. They may recommend blood work and do X-rays and an ultrasound so they can look at the pancreas and other organs. Also they could do an exploratory surgery to open his abdomen to see if it is cancer or maybe he ate something that has damaged his intestines. If they see what is wrong perhaps they can fix it. Frank is a young dog so having cancer is less likely than an intestinal problem or infection. If they find it can't be treated you can consider euthanasia at that point. Personally with my dog I like to understand the reason for the illness. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Frank.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Judging from the photos, it is difficult to say for sure what the growth could be. This may be benign or malignant but further testing would need to be performed on it (such as a needle aspirate or biopsy performed by your veterinarian). It has the appearance of a benign tumor but I cannot say for sure. In regards to the weight loss and not being able to hold his weight, there may be a number of causes for this such as cancer, systemic disease / infection, etc. I would recommend having a veterinarian examine George so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Demon! Most vets are not in it for the money and became vets because they care for animals. I don't think they would put Demon through a surgery if they don't think it would improve his quality of life. Demon is a senior dog and my concern is the weight loss despite a good appetite. I think, if you as the owner, want to know why he isn't gaining weight then the tests are important. Every owner is different. Some want to know if there is something serious going on and if it is fixable, while others know it won't change what they do and they just want to keep their pets comfortable. You need to be up front with what you want for Demon and share your concerns with your Vet. It is so very hard to tell you what to do with Demon. He has a lot of concerning things going on. Age isn't a disease but more serious underlying conditions come to play. If he is suffering from this mass on his leg then you are between a rock and a hard place. But I agree that you need to know if he has something internal going on before anesthesia and surgery. I would recommend you consider full blood work and chest X-rays. Then decide if it is worth it to Demon to remove the mass. I hope this helps in some way and I wish you and Demon the best!

Gumbo definitely is at increased anesthetic risk (risk of adverse events during anesthesia and risk of poor recovery) at age 14 (7-8 years of age is considered geriatric), even with normal blood work (normal liver/kidney values). In addition those are extremely large masses and surgical removal could definitely affect anal tone (result in incontinence) assuming that anesthesia and recovery do go well. There is also a possibility that the type of cancer Gumbo has is metastatic and has already spread to the lungs for which the prognosis is poor (chest rads would be recommended prior to proceeding with surgery). I would recommend bringing Gumbo to have the anal glands checked regularly to make sure that they are empty. I also recommend keeping Gumbo as comfortable as possible as consulting with your veterinarian about treatment and humane endpoints if the masses become ulcerated.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is hard to know for sure just based on a description. This could be a benign or malignant growth. There is no way of knowing what it is just based on its appearance. This is often differentiated by a test called a fine needle aspirate (FNA) which is a pain free, inexpensive and easy procedure which in most cases will help reach a diagnosis. Sometimes a biopsy is needed for a definitive diagnosis. I recommend that you have him evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment as soon as possible as his weight loss and blood loss are quite concerning. I am really hoping for something benign. Good luck and have a good day!

Unknown lumps and bumps are virtually impossible to diagnose without, at the very least, a visual inspection of the area. As such, I will provide you with some general information. An unknown mass or lump is typically one of the following: a cystic (fluid filled) structure, an abscess (fluid-filled, but infected), a mass / tumor, an allergic reaction / insect bite, or the result of a traumatic injury. A thorough physical exam and inspection of the affected area would be needed in order to determine which is most likely. In many instances, a needle aspirate (small amount of fluid obtained from the lesion and placed on a microscope slide) or tissue biopsy would be required to obtain a definitive diagnosis as to the type of lesion. If this is not an option, one must consider the location, distribution, duration of onset, patient breed / age / sex, and a variety of other factors. As Foxy is a younger dog, it is less likely that she would have a malignant tumor on her body than if she was elderly. You mentioned that the lesion is soft - this is typically a good sign that she is dealing with something benign or harmless. Whether or not this mass has anything to do with the weight loss is very difficult to say. I would recommend you make a regular appointment to see your vet and have her assessed as a whole. Hope this makes sense.