My 15-year-old Golden has a soft/hard lump near his butt. What is it?

It may be a benign mass or a malignant tumor. The only way to know which s to have Max physically examined by your veterinarian. A fine needle aspirate can be done in the clinic to collect samples for pathology. If Maxi is due for a dental cleaning any time soon, the mass could be taken off while he is under anesthesia. Monitor for rapid change or growth. If Max licks or chews at the lump, place an e-collar (cone) on him until he sees the vet.

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.

This growths on Teddy could be benign, but in a senior dog, there is always a chance that they would be malignant. Any suspicious lumps should be examined by the vet. The vet can perform a test called a fine needle aspirate on 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. I'd give your vet a call to make an appointment to have these growths examined and diagnosed so they can be treated if needed. Best of luck, I hope this helps.

This lump on Sam could be benign or malignant. In an older dog, there is always a chance any lump could be malignant. Any suspicious lumps should be examined by the vet. The vet can perform a test called a fine needle aspirate on it. To do this, the vet sticks a small needle into the lump to get a sample of its cells, and examines the cells on a slide under a microscope. It's usually painless to the animal, and relatively quick to perform. Once the cause of the lump is diagnosed, the vet can discuss treatment options if needed. Give his vet a call tomorrow to make him an appointment. I hope this helps!

This growth on Max could be a benign tumor or a malignant tumor. Unfortunately in a senior dog, there is always a chance any lump could be malignant. Any suspicious lumps should be examined by the vet. The vet can perform a test called a fine needle aspirate on it. To do this, the vet sticks a small needle into the lump to get a sample of its cells, and examines the cells on a slide under a microscope. It's usually painless to the animal, and relatively quick to perform. Once the cause of the lump is diagnosed, the vet can discuss treatment options if needed. I would give his vet a call to make him an appointment. Best of luck.

Thank you for providing a picture of Mia's lump! It could be a benign tumor, a cyst, or a malignant tumor. Unfortunately in a senior dog, there is always a chance it could be malignant. Any suspicious lumps should be examined by the vet. The vet can perform a test called a fine needle aspirate on 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. I would take her into the vet in the next couple of days to have this lump examined and diagnosed so it can be treated as needed. Good luck, I hope this helps!

It is probably a spindle cell tumor and should be removed. There is no way to know if it is malignant or benign without doing a histopathology on the mass after it is removed. I suggest you have this done while the mass is still relatively small and hopefully non-invasive into the underlying tissues. ( http://www.michigananimalhospital.com/page/468687590 )