Two Easy Ways to Start Earning Rewards!
Become a member today!
Members-only pricing and offers, personalized care notifications, Vital Care points back on every purchase and more!
Already a member? Sign in
Become a credit card member today!
Earn 2X Pals Rewards points at Petco
when you use Petco Pay!
APPLY NOW
Learn More About Petco Pay Benefits

Dog has growing lump, drinks more, and is lethargic. What's wrong?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Recently I have found a lump on my dog's stomach near her back legs it has start to become bigger more redder and is solid and recently I noticed starting to scab like an odd purpley colour ,she drinks more water then usual and is urinating more and just sleeping, won't let anyone touch it also makes grunt noises , I'm at a loss as I dont know what it could be and I dont really have much funds and I'm struggling to find her the help she needs because I can't just leave her how she is

3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Dr. Leigh, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on April 1st, 2017

So sorry she is having these problems. Drinking and urinating more can be a sign of kidney disease, Cushing's disease, diabetes, Addison's disease, infections, thyroid disease, etc. The only way to know the cause is to have a vet run some bloodwork and a urinalysis. The lump could be a cyst, infection, benign or cancerous mass. A needle aspirate or biopsy may be necessary to diagnose. She really needs to be examined by a vet. Try to find a low cost clinic in your area or a vet that would take a payment plan. You could also apply for Care Credit which is a veterinary credit care. Hope you can find her the help that she needs.

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Lindsey Edwards MVB, BSc, IVCA
Veterinarian
Published on July 21st, 2017
There are many possible reasons for the symptoms you describe but altered thirst and weight gain may indicate hormonal disease such as cushings or fluid retention. I recommend a full vet check and blood or urine screen as soon as possible
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Dr. Leigh, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on November 17th, 2016
If she is constantly drinking water, losing weight, and not eating than she needs to have a workup with bloodwork and x-rays, if needed. Drinking excessively can be a sign of diabetes, kidney disease, liver disease, Cushing's, Addison's, cancer, etc. If your vet is not able to diagnose than you need to take her to a different vet who will do a work-up. It also sounds like she could have a skin infection and need an antibiotic. A vet can also aspirate the lumps to determine if they are benign. Hope you can get a diagnosis and start treatment soon. It definitely sounds like something is wrong.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Smart Picks for Smart Questions

Related Questions

Health & Wellness

Senior dog has new lumps, drinks and pees excessively. Should I worry?

Farah looks like a very sweet dog! How lucky she found you as her new family! I would recommend having the new lump checked by your vet soon. They may recommend taking a small sample of cells (a fine needle aspirate) to determine what type of mass it is, and if you need to be concerned. I would also discuss the increased water intake and urination. This can be an indication of a number of different issues including Cushings disease (excess steroid hormones in the body), diabetes (high blood sugar level), kidney disease and even liver problems. Your vet will likely recommend blood work to look for these issues and will then be able to help you determine an appropriate course of treatment for Farah.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

My dog has a lump and isn't eating or drinking. Should I see a vet?

It does sound like Pepper is sick. This large lump on her side could be an abscess, cyst, benign tumor, or a malignant tumor. An abscess or malignant tumor would cause her to not want to eat or drink. It is serious that she doesn't want to drink, and I would take her into a vet now. If you wait until morning, she could become seriously dehydrated, and it's best to prevent that. The vet can examine the lump and can perform a test called a fine needle aspirate on it to diagnose 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. The vet will also likely do routine blood tests and a urinalysis to diagnose why she is feeling so poorly, and how best to treat her.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Health & Wellness

Why is my intact female dog drinking lots, not eating, and has a lump?

This is very concerning as PU/PD (drinking and urinating more than usual) and not eating, especially in an older intact female can be a sign of a uterine infection , which in turn can be life threatening. I strongly recommend you have Darla examined by your veterinarian. Your vet will want to do some blood work and possibly x-rays to see whether her uterus is filled with pus.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

My senior dog has lumps, is slow, and not drinking. What's wrong?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! These could be benign or malignant growths. 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 your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Since he has not been drinking well, they would also be able to check if something else is also affecting him by checking into other possible concurrent issues such as gastroenteritis or pancreatitis for instance. I am really hoping for something benign. Good luck and best wishes!

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Health & Wellness

My husky has a chest lump, drinks a lot, and barely urinates. Serious?

the two problems may be related and personally I would give priority to the lump at this stage. Although a picture of it would help to determine the underlying cause more specifically, generally speaking this kind of lump/growth needs to be ideally assessed by your veterinarian to have a definitive and specific answer. Usually there are two ways your vet can do that a part from examining it directly during physical examination. A biopsy can be taken under local or general anesthetic, otherwise a smaller sample through a fine needle can be aspirated (this technique is called FNA= fine needle aspiration). Differentials include skin cysts, infections, benign or more sinister type of tumors. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. Please find the time to give us a feedback about the consultation as that will be used to improve our service.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

My senior dog drinks, pees excessively, has bumps, and pees inside.

Blaiser sounds quite ill! There are a couple of things going on with him at the moment. This excessive drinking and urination could be caused by diabetes, kidney failure, Cushing's disease, a UTI, or bladder stones. The large bumps could be due to cysts, lipomas, abscesses, benign tumors, or malignant tumors. The panting more could be due to cardiac disease or metastasis from a malignant tumor. Blaiser has to see a vet as soon as possible, and today would be best. He needs a physical exam, blood tests, urinalysis, fine needle aspirate of the bumps, and chest x-rays. These tests will diagnose what is causing his symptoms, and the vet can discuss treatment options with you. Please take him into an ER vet clinic; if there isn't one in your area, there will be a vet on call for emergencies. The information to reach that vet is found on a clinic's answering machine or website.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

My senior dog has hard lumps, leg pain, and is very thirsty.

These lumps needs to be checked and analysed as there are many conditions and types of tumors that could look like that. take Cain to the vet, they will perform a fine needle aspiration on the growths and send it to the lab for analysis. when the result comes, the vet will advise what needs to be done according to the diagnosis.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Have A Vet Question?

Book an appointment with the pros – our expert vets are here to help.

Share