Why are fatty tumors so common in dogs?

PET DISEASE AND ALLERGIES: FATTY TUMORS

Background: Composed of mature fat cells and connective tissues, a lipoma is a benign growth commonly felt beneath the skin in dogs. These "fatty tumors" are quite common in middle-aged and older female dogs, although they affect both sexes. Generally, they do not pose a serious health risk to pets, although occasionally they can grow quite large and begin to cause problems.

A tumor is a lump of cells that does not obey the normal rules of cell growth. Normally, cells grow until chemical messengers in the body tell them to stop growing. Tumor cells do not listen to these messengers and continue to grow. There are two types of tumor. The first type is called benign, usually growing slowly and does not generally spread to other parts of the body. The other type of tumor is malignant, which push through nearby organs or may spread to other tissues. Most fatty tumors are benign. They are neither painful, nor will they cause serious problems unless they grow between muscles or are so large that they cause mechanical problems, such as difficulty walking. Though rare, fatty tumors may become malignant, in which case they need to be surgically removed. Hopefully, your pet's tumor does not match any of the above criteria. It is very important that you keep a close watch on your pet's tumor. Although your pet's tumor is not a problem at this point in time, it may become a problem later down the road. It is good to document the size of your pet's tumor using general terms to identify the size (pea size, egg size). Each month you should reevaluate the size of the tumor. If any changes occur, you should contact your veterinarian immediately.

Your veterinarian can evaluate the size and appearance of your pet's growth at each subsequent examination and stay alert, well in advance, if surgery becomes necessary. With a little extra care, you make sure that your pet lives a long, happy, healthy life.

Clinical Signs:Lipomas appear as bulges under the skin which range in size from pea-sized to wide masses spanning a section of the abdomen or chest wall. They usually feel somewhat spongy and are freely moveable under the skin. They may grow very slowly, or not at all once they appear. You should always carefully monitor any mass or tumor on your pet’s body, including lipomas.

Have your pet examined by a veterinarian, if any of the following occurs:

The tumor is growing rapidly.

The tumor, after a long period of no growth, has suddenly started to grow again.

The tumor begins to change its appearance. It was formerly soft and now is hard. Or was formerly smooth and circular and now is beginning to grow nodular and lumpy.

The tumor is beginning to interfere with walking or movement, which may happen if the lump is near the hip or elbow.

The tumor is in a location where any growth will cause it to either be difficult or impossible to remove such as on the paw or leg.

Your pet is biting at the tumor and causing it to become infected or bleed.

In these cases, your veterinarian will probably suggest that the tumor be either biopsied or removed altogether.

Diagnosis: Any visible tumor or mass should be shown to a veterinarian to rule out the possibility of a cancerous mass. Lipomas are usually quickly diagnosed by obtaining a small sample of cells with a syringe and viewing them under the microscope. Sedation is rarely necessary to obtain a cell sample.

Treatment: Most lipomas are left untreated because they pose few health risks. However, very large or unsightly tumors may be surgically removed.

You should not rely, on the veterinary advice or any other information provided on this site for the diagnosis or treatment of any specific condition. You should always consult your own veterinarian for specific advice concerning the medical condition or general treatment of your pet. Worldclassgsd.com accepts no liability related to the veterinary advice and information provided on this site.

Fatty Tumors In Dogs

Fatty Tumors

They won't disappear after they've developed. If your dog has always been a little chunky and has the genetic predisposition then there's not much you can do about them forming.

There's really no need to worry unless they grow large enough to cause him trouble walking or if they get rubbed or licked enough to cause ulcers. Fatty tumors, or lipomas, are benign overgrowths of the fat cells. There's nothing you can do to get them to go away other than surgery, but they usually aren't anything to be concerned about.

Fatty tumors are rather common in older dogs. They don't usually attach themselves to anything inside, and stop growing after awhile. They won't harm anything unless they continue to grow non-stop. It is possible to remove these tumors pretty safely, even if your dog is older, as long as he is healthy and your vet does the blood work first. My terrier mix had these all over the place by the time she was 13, and not one needed to be removed. My 10 year old has gotten her first one, and we are watching it because it is near her bladder. If it grows more, we will have it removed. If not, it will stay. Your dog will be fine, and may even get more of these. Comes with old age, I guess.

For the best answers, search on this site https://smarturl.im/aDBmI

I'm not sure why they're so common...My 12 1/2 year old lab has had several removed, each about the size of a golfball. My Best friends 13 year old lab had one the size of a grapefruit on her side.

Naturally Cure Lumps?

They are called lipomas and humans often get them. They are harmless and only need to be removed if you don't like their looks. There is no way to prevent them and they are painless.