My senior German Shepherd has a leg lump. Is surgery risky for bone cancer?

I am sorry to hear about Jake. He appears to have a tumor here on his ankle. We can have benign (meaning they don't spread elsewhere in the body and cause more cancer) tumors as well as malignant (meaning the tumor is aggressive and can spread) tumors in dogs. There is no way to tell for certain just by looking at a tumor what type it is. An aspirate with a needle can sometimes provide information on what type of tumor we are dealing with. The location of this tumor, however, in may opinion would warrant surgical removal because it is an area that could easily be traumatized/get injured, and it is also an area without alot of extra skin for closing a surgical site, so it is best to remove tumors in these locations before they get too big!

Osteosarcoma is typically a very aggressive cancer so it would be unusual for the pet to be doing well one and a half years later. There are many types of skin masses including benign bone growth. I recommend to play it safe and to have the mass aspirated by your veterinarian. This will give you a better idea of what’s going on and if it’s something that will cause a problem in the future or requires treatment. I hope this helps.

With any new lump or lump that is changing, it is always best to have your veterinarian look at them and a fine needle aspirated can be done to obtain a sample of cells. If these cells look suspicious of a malignancy, then your vet can recommend surgery. From the photos that you have posted, my guess is that these may be benign, non-cancerous masses. These can still cause problems, though, by bleeding and getting infected. I would schedule Max for an exam at your earliest convenience so that you and your vet can weigh the pros and cons of surgery since he is a senior.

Endi is at an age where there is a potential a lump could be malignant. It's not as high as chance as it would be in a senior dog, but the possibility exists. I do think it's worth having the biopsy to be safe to find out what it is.

It may be an ulcerated growth from a pressure sore if he seems to lay on that side more. If there is a discharge then it is likely infected and will need antibiotics. Your vet can sample some cells and see if it is a growth or a pressure sore and advise if surgery is recommended in that area

Hi, It looks to me as though Shadow may have a hygroma. This is a false bursa that develops over bony prominences, commonly the elbow, due to repeated trauma from pressure points while lying down on or hitting the elbows on hard surfaces. This repeated trauma creates an inflammatory response, which results in a dense-walled, fluid-filled cavity. Overtime, severe inflammation may develop, and ulceration, infection, even abscesses can form on the hygroma. To prevent this from getting worse, provide plenty of soft padding and soft bedding for Shadow to have to prevent more trauma to the area. In minor cases even elbow pads can be bought for dogs. For severe cases, surgeries can be performed to try to cosmetically fix the area after flushing, draining and repairing the areas. Hope this helps! -Dr. Gordon

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Abby. I am glad that she will see her veterinarian. She could have a cancerous growth, but hopefully it is a benign mass such as a cyst or other type of growth. A procedure known as a fine needle aspirate is commonly performed to diagnose a mass. The veterinarian will use a small needle to collect a sample of cells to evaluate under the microscope. Based on these results, treatment recommendations can be made. For example, if the mass appears cancerous, then surgery will be recommended. Bone cancer occurs in dogs, but is not common in the location shown in your pictures. So this is less likely. I hope this information helps!