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Should I remove my dog's non-cancerous lipoma if it's not bothering her?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

My 9yr old cattle dog has a fatty lump on her chest near the start of her neck (lipoma), she is very active chasing the ball at the park, eating normally, no weight loss they did some tests & if us not cancer Lipoma the vet said it can be removed but others may grow it is not hurting her. The operation will cost around $2,400. I'm not sure what to do should I get a 2nd opinion?

3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on March 10th, 2017

There's no need to remove lipomas unless they are bothering the dog in some way. Dogs who have lipomas are prone to developing others, and it will be very important to have any new lump checked out to make sure it is a lipoma and not cancerous. As long as it's not hurting her and it's not overly large, I personally see no need to remove it.

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Laura Johnson VMD
Veterinarian
Published on September 21st, 2018
Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

If the growth is slow growing and your Vet is confident it is a lipoma (benign fatty tumor) then you do not need to remove it. You could always have your vet do an aspirate of the growth and send it out to the lab to have a pathologist look at it under a microscope to confirm the diagnosis. But I think it if is slow growing, isn't bothering Gemma and it is a lipoma then you do not need to remove it.

I hope this helps
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Andrea M. Brodie, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on April 8th, 2017
Your vet can do a fine needle aspirate and have it looked at by a pathologist to determine whether it is a malignant tumor. If it is a harmless lipoma , that does not bother her, then there is no need to remove it until it bothers her or causes problems. If it is malignant, then it should be removed. You may want to get a second opinion from another vet.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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Related Questions

My senior dog has many large lipomas. Is this normal? What causes them?

Lipomas are just accumulation of fat and are very common in older dogs. As they age they develop more if they are prone to them. Dogs that are overweight are more prone to them but I see them very commonly on dogs that are an ideal body weight. I usually do not worry about them unless that are causing issues with mobility or they are bothering the dog. If they are causing issues, I would talk to your vet about having them debulked. When they are this large, it is impossible to completely remove them and they will likey regrow, but debulking them will allow him to be more comfortable. If they do regrow, they will likely never get as big as they are right now, but of course I cannot guarantee that. I hope this helps!

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My senior dog has fatty lumps. Do I need to treat them if he's fine?

Typically these fatty lumps (lipomas) require no treatment unless they are very big, affect the way a dog moves, and/or bothers the dog. If these scenarios do not apply to Oso, you don't need to do anything.

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My senior dog has a lipoma. Can it be treated without surgery?

No, surgery is the only way to remove Jack's lipoma. If your vet has already aspirated the mass to examine the cells under the microscope and finds that it has not been growing dramatically, monitoring at home can be quite reasonable for many lipomas. If the lipoma begins growing quickly, bleeds, or seems to limit Jack's movement, surgery would likely be beneficial.

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My dog has a lump under her ribs. Should I wait for the vet?

Bumps can be benign, as you know. If your veterinarian has any concerns that this is more than just a lipoma, then they will likely recommend removal. The goal would be complete removal and hopefully be curative. But you can’t make a plan until she is examined. I would not wait until December, I would go in early and see what your doctor has to say about it. Best of luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.

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My dog has a large, growing lump. Should I take him to the vet?

This could be a seroma from an injury, a cyst, abscess or a tumor. Cysts and abscesses need to be drained by a vet. If your vet suspects a tumor, he will do a fine needle aspirate to determine whether it is a harmless lipoma, which does not need to be removed unless it is ulcerating or bothers the dog due to its location or size, or another tumor that needs to be removed. Please make an appointment with your veterinarian for an exam of the mass.

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