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

The only way to treat lipomas (fatty lumps) is to have them surgically removed. There is no treatment that will make them go away. The best time to have them removed is when your dog is under anesthesia for something like a dental cleaning, unless they are growing rapidly and/or interfering with movement.

We would be happy to answer any specific questions you have about fatty tumors on dogs :) In general, I can tell you that they are quite common in older dogs, and most often occur on the sides, chest, and abdomen. They should feel soft and squishy, and are usually freely moveable under the skin - not attached to the underlying tissue. They are benign, and typically do not cause any clinical problems. If Freddie has some lumps that you think may be fatty tumors, it would be best to have them checked by your vet to make sure. If they are fatty tumors, they would not be expected to cause any problems in most cases.

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.

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!

These could be lipomas, or fatty growths, that wouldn't necessarily require any treatment and can be common in older dogs. It's also possible that these are tumors. I would recommend having your vet examine Bella - they might recommend testing the lumps using a needle to determine what they are.

If the needle aspirate showed fatty cells only, I would monitor it for now. Lipomas (fatty tumors) are typically benign, although in rare instances they can become malignant. If the mass gets larger or it starts causing her problems, then I would have the biopsy done and discuss with the vet possibly removing it.

Lipomas can be very common in dogs, and if the lump feels fatty, it may simply be a lipoma. It seems he has a history of non-malignant growths, and due to that, it may be most likely he has another non-malignant growth. Unfortunately only by seeing a vet can you know for sure, and I do recommend having it done. Given that he is acting otherwise normal, there would be no reason why they would put him down and certainly they couldn't do that without your permission. As for an op, they can suggest it if they feel it may help him, but it's your choice as to whether or not the op is performed. I can tell you are very worried about Patch, but don't let that get in the way of having this lump checked out. I'd have him seen by a vet on Monday. I hope this helps!