My dog has a soft bulge when lying down. Could it be a fatty lump?

I am very sorry to hear about your dog. What you are describing sounds like most likely a tumor. There are many different types of tumors. Two of the more common we see in this area are lipomas, which are fatty tumors and feel soft/squishy, and sarcomas which are firmer feeling. Unfortunately it sounds like this is large and causing her problems. She needs a visit to the vet's office to examine the tumor and see if it can be surgically removed. They may want to take an x-ray and may want to do what is called a "fine needle aspirate" to collect cells to try to identify the type of tumor before surgery.

It is difficult to determine if a lump is cause for concern by just an image alone anyway. Ideally, she should be physically examined by your veterinarian. If necessary, fine needle aspirates can be done to collect samples for pathology. This may provide a diagnosis. Treatment options can be discussed once results are returned. If the lumps are not bothering Maddie, you can choose to monitor for rapid change or growth, sensitivity, discharge or restriction of motion. IN these cases, she would need to see her vet.

You are correct that lipomas generally grow very slowly. I recommend to have Jackson examined today. A rapidly growing bump is worrisome for an abscess, a foreign body reaction, an infected cyst or an aggressive cancer. Protect the area from licking by having Jackson wear an elizabethan collar at all times. Protect the area from trauma and have him examined today by the veterinarian. I hope this helps.

It's a little difficult to tell what exactly is swollen in your picture, but it's possible that Frankie has an enlarged salivary gland or lymph node, or something like an abscess. All of these things can occur suddenly. I would recommend having your vet take a look - they might be able to get a better idea from being able to see and feel the swelling in person. They might recommend taking a sample using a small needle (fine needle aspirate) if it seems like a lymph node or salivary gland is swollen.

No puppies don't get fatty lumps like this overnight, so it's more likely a cyst or an abscess on Franko. A cyst and an abscess are not serious, but I would still have it checked out by a vet before his next round of vaccines. The vet can do 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. Once the cause of the lump is diagnosed, the vet can discuss treatment options.

This lump/growth should be ideally examined by your veterinarian to have a definitive diagnosis. Your vet will examine it and possibly perform with an FNA (fine needle aspiration) or a biopsy. Differentials would include skin cyst, infections or benign or malignant 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. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

Hello there from across the pond! Lumps and bumps on older dogs are fairly typical and are to be expected with an older pet. By and large, lumps and bumps that are round, smooth, and/or freely movable generally speaking are not causes for alarm. However, lumps and bumps that become red, inflamed, warm to the touch, itchy, have rough edges, are rapidly growing, or have discharge coming from them need to be looked at by a veterinarian and have them assessed. Regardless, I would recommend your veterinarian take a look at Chester and take small sample of the small mass he has and look at it under a microscope. From there, your vet can determine the nature of the mass and if it is concerning. You may also discuss surgical removal of the small mass if that is recommended by your vet. I hope this has helped!