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Why does my dog have a large, hard lump on his chest causing limping?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Staffordshire Bull Terrier | Male | neutered

My dog has a very large hard lump, roughly size of an orange, maybe bigger on his chest located under front right leg which causes him to limp now. He is well in himself, eating and drinking and regular walks.

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By David Darvishian

Veterinarian

Published on September 15th, 2017

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to see and hear that Stanlee is having a problem. Lumps can be a variety of things such as an abscess (infection), a hematoma (bruise), a seroma (fluid filled pocket), a granuloma (collection of inflammatory cells), or a tumor which could be benign or malignant. Usually with firm lumps we get concerned about granulomas or tumors but some of the other causes for lumps can appear hard or firm depending upon their depth in the body and what is covering them. The best thing to do is see your vet. Let them get a detailed history and do a good physical exam. Most likely they will want to do a fine needle aspirate and look at the sample under the microscope. If that is inconclusive, a biopsy would be needed under anesthesia/sedation most likely. Biopsies are sent to a pathologist who can then process the sample and examine it microscopically. Large tumors that are common in dogs are called lipomas, which are benign tumors of the fat tissue. These can be very soft or more firm as discussed above. Since mobility is becoming affected, I wouldn't advise monitoring this situation. Good luck with Stanlee

7Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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