My dog has soft lumps behind his legs. When should I take him to the vet?

Hello. A knot in the leg of a Chihuahua is unlikely and if it is behind the 'knee' then it is likely his lymph node. If it is larger than 1cmx1cm I would have it checked by a veterinarian. It may just be his normal lymph node however if it isn't sore or tender. Enlarged lymph nodes can be due to infection, or cancer. Due to his age it is much less likely to be cancer.

I would recommend a vet visit. The vet can do a needle aspirate and take a look at the cells. While this may be a location for a lymph node it does not necessarily have to be lymphoma. Enlarged lymph nodes may be due to cancer, or inflammation or infection. Or it's possible it's not a lymph node and may be another type of mass or swelling. I recommend a vet visit to try to see what is swollen and why.

It sounds like Cutie has a tumor or abscess on her leg. Dogs also have lymph nodes you may be feeling which are on the back of the leg behind the knee. An abscess would be hot and painful and may feel soft. A lymph node would be under the skin, firm, round and smooth. If this is a tumor they can vary in feel. Malignant tumors are irregular, attached to the deeper tissue and grow quickly. Benign growths like lipomas or fatty growths are often just below the skin, they feel round and smooth but softer than a lymph node. To find out what the lump on Cutie is she needs a veterinary exam and they can put a needle into the lump and look at the cells under a microscope. They will be able to tell if it's a fatty growth or infection. If the cells look like they could be cancer they will send the cells out for cytology, or remove the lump and send that tissue for a diagnosis. As Cutie is a young dog it's most likely a benign growth, an infection, or you are just feeling a normal lymph node under the skin. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Cutie.

That is a large, lobulated lump (no just one defined lump) in a location that would generally never have something like a swollen lymph nodes. I recommend making an appointment with your vet for a fine needle aspirate (where they aspirate cells from the mass and put them on a slide to be sent out for review) to determine if it is an abscess or a tumor/cancer of some sort. Best wishes for Diesel!

These lumps needs to be checked and analysed as there are many conditions and types of tumors that could look like that. take him to the vet, they will perform a fine needle aspiration on the growths and send it to the lab for analysis. when the result comes, the vet will advise what needs to be done according to the diagnosis.

This can be a benign lump, or it could be a lipoma or cyst. 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'd give his vet a call tomorrow to make him an appointment. Best of luck.

At Chotu's age, these lumps could be cysts or lipomas. 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'd give his vet a call to make him an appointment. Best of luck.