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Why is my senior dog's chest lumpy and painful after activity?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Labrador Retriever | Female | spayed | 166 lbs

My 12 year old labrador is not very active. Went to a friends house with 2 much younger dogs for 2 days. I'm told she ran around and rough housed a lot with them. Get her back and her chest seemed like the muscle was detached almost. I could grab ahold of it like a big fatty tumor almost. Made her whine and doesnt like moving much now. 2 days have gone by and her chest is much firmer now but not like her old muscular chest. Any ideas? Thank you

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Linda G,  MS, DVM

Answered By Linda G, MS, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on September 5th, 2018

Hello. Poor Zoey may just be feeling the strain of overdoing things with the younger pups. If this is the case, she should start to feel better soon. But if she injured herself, this may take longer & possibly require anti-inflammatory or even muscle relaxant medications. Older labs are also pretty prone to developing fatty tumors, most of which are very benign & will never ever cause a problems, but if you are detecting something new & concerning, it is always best to have a complete exam done to make sure something more serious has not occurred. good luck with Zoey & thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.
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