My senior dog has lumps, cough, and trouble drinking. What's wrong?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! These could be benign or malignant growths. This is often differentiated by a test called a fine needle aspirate (FNA) which is a pain free, inexpensive and easy procedure which in most cases will help reach a diagnosis. Sometimes a biopsy is needed for a definitive diagnosis. I recommend that you have him evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Since he has not been drinking well, they would also be able to check if something else is also affecting him by checking into other possible concurrent issues such as gastroenteritis or pancreatitis for instance. I am really hoping for something benign. Good luck and best wishes!

I'm sorry to hear that Bella isn't feeling well! Did all of this start between November and now? If so, please take her to you vet for an exam. I am worried that she has a tumor that may be affecting either the back of her throat, her neck (the lump you are describing). Its also possible that she has cancer elsewhere, such as in her spinal cord if her gait has changed significantly (though this could be due to disc disease or other causes of spinal cord compression.) Take her back to your vet for an exam. It sounds like her overall quality of life is still good... however, your vet may be able to identify ways to help you keep her feeling good for longer. Thanks for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

These lumps on Rocky Road (love his name!) could be due to a cyst, a benign tumor, or a malignant tumor. 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 it's cells, and examines the cells on a slide under a microscope. It's usually painless to the animal, and relatively quick to perform. I would take him into the vet tomorrow to have the lumps examined and diagnosed. Once the lump is diagnosed, the vet can recommend treatment.

These lumps needs to be checked and analysed as there are many conditions and types of tumors that could look like that. take Cain 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.

I know it can be scary when thinking about possible cancerous masses in your pet. But really the only way to know for sure is to have these masses tested through your vet. They can be cancerous masses, inflammatory reactions or benign tumors (non-cancerous). The heavy breathing that Allie is doing does concern me a bit. This can either be a sign of pain or an underlying lung or heart disease. So a vet visit although no desired, is probably the bext best thing to do for Allie in figuring out what's going on with both concerns. Best of luck getting some answers and take care.

So sorry she is having these problems. Drinking and urinating more can be a sign of kidney disease, Cushing's disease, diabetes, Addison's disease, infections, thyroid disease, etc. The only way to know the cause is to have a vet run some bloodwork and a urinalysis. The lump could be a cyst, infection, benign or cancerous mass. A needle aspirate or biopsy may be necessary to diagnose. She really needs to be examined by a vet. Try to find a low cost clinic in your area or a vet that would take a payment plan. You could also apply for Care Credit which is a veterinary credit care. Hope you can find her the help that she needs.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I would recommend Roxy be evaluated by a veterinarian as soon as possible. If they are enlarged lymph nodes throughout her body, it could be due to a development of lymphoma, or an infectious disease, for example. An early diagnosis of either (or another underlying issue) would be very beneficial for treatment. I would recommend she be evaluated by her regular veterinarian, and any necessary testing done. Good luck!