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

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.

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.

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.

It could be a benign mass or tumor like a lipoma, or it could be something more serious. If the lump is new, if it seems painful, or if it is very firm and fixed in place you should encourage your friend to get it checked out by a veterinarian soon.

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!

Hello. Without an exam or pictures, it is difficult to comment on the specifics of a mass. It would be highly unlikely that this mass has anything to do with the broken leg she suffered as a young dog. Many dogs can develop lipomas which are benign fatty masses that can become very large. These usually are not a real health threat....they just look bad. With that being said, the only way to know for sure what kind of mass your dog has is to have your veterinarian examine her and take a sample of the tissue. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and I hope you can get an answer to your concern soon at your veterinarian.

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.