Hard growth on my senior Rottweiler's knee: Hygroma or bone cancer?

I cannot give you a definitive answer to your question just by looking at the is one x-ray. I can't get a good look at the x-ray as it won't enlarge enough for me to see what I need to see. Regardless, I think I see a lucent area on the calcaneous. That could be cancer but it could be osteomyelitis (bone infection) or even a fungal infection. It does not appear to involve the joint. The calcaneous is not at typical area to get bone cancer if that is any consolation. It is not impossible, just not common. This could be a hygroma (inflammation of the bursa) but without examining her myself it is too hard to say. I think your vet needs to aspirate the mass and look at the fluid under the microscope - usually you can see if there is bacteria in there (I would be worried about this so she really should be on some antibiotics) or cancer cells or just inflammation, etc. ( https://www.drsfostersmith.com/pic/article.cfm?articleid=2847 ) Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Unfortunately , even if your vet did not see cancer lesions in the hock, your dog could still have bone cancer. I would have Gunner x-rayed again about 2 months after the last x-ray. He could have arthritis, but your veterinarian should have seen that on the x-ray. At this time he may need prescription NSAIDs for the pain. If this is not getting better, your vet may need to do a bone biopsy to determine whether there is bone cancer or a bone infection that is causing this.

Any lumps/bumps that you notice on your dog should be checked out by your vet. Lumps can be any of these things: * abscess (infection) * cyst * cancer (benign or malignant) * wart * hygroma * hernia Unfortunately, there is no way I can tell you what it is with 100% certainty just based on your description or by looking at a photo but I have a suspicion that you are correct and it is a hygroma. If you are worried it is always best to get something like this checked out sooner rather than later.

Yes, I would be worried. I don't want to scare you but it is actually very common for Rottweilers to get bone cancer. It will often times start out as an occasional limp but then will rapidly progress to a severe, constant limp. Sometimes you will see a noticeable swelling on the outside of the affected leg. Please take her to your vet for an exam and an x-ray of that leg. It is better to catch this sooner rather than later. If it is not that, the other option is arthritis which can be managed well with medications. Either way she sounds uncomfortable and in some pain so it would be best to find out what is going on. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

It's hard for me to say what could be going on without examining Oskar and seeing the x-rays. My concern in a Rottweiler that has persistent limping despite anti-inflammatories would be osteosarcoma, a bone cancer. I would recommend discussing additional diagnostics with your vet, including repeat x-rays, and possibly a biopsy or CT scan.

The bone lesion is small on the xray. Diagnosing bone cancer can sometimes be difficult on the smaller lesions. A bone biopsy is something they might consider. Your specialist is likely waiting to see if the changes become more pronounced in order to obtain a better sample. A CT scan should be considered as well. This breed is predisposed to certain cancers and we see bone cancer commonly in this breed. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns.

Hello. Louie is very young to develop any masses, but it is possible. It is also possible that he injured the joint & this is joint fluid collecting under the skin. The most likely possibility is this is a hygroma. What has probably happened is Louie was resting on a fairly hard surface & the pressure of his weight has created tissue damage over the elbow bones. A fluid pocket forms as the body tries to produce its own cushioning. I do encourage you to have your veterinarian examine this, but do change his bedding to something much softer & pliant, as the hygroma may simply begin to resolve on its own over the next 2-3 weeks. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.