Hello again folks,

Just as Hugo has gotten over the 'nail in his foot' scenario and all was back to normal - I've just found a lump at the base of his neck. It's the size of a golf ball! It doesn't hurt him when you palpitate it, it's quite soft and am able to move it about a little bit, but firm in the middle. What could this be? And why do you always dicover these things when the vet won't be open until Monday?!

He is chipped so I'm wondering whether the chip has migrated and caused problems, or whether he's been bitten by something and is allergic to it, or horror of horrors, it's a cancerous lump.

Any ideas?

A panicking Lady G

I wouldn't worry about it lady G.....unless its a wasp sting (unlikely this time of year!) its unlikely to need urgent medical treatment & no doubt you could get him to the vet Monday morning for his opinion. To my mind it doesn't sound too nasty, nore likely to be an abcess (can you feel a puncture site?) or even a fatty lump that you just haven't noticed before. I presume its not fluid filled (blocked salivary gland). As ling as his breathing isn't impaired by the size of the lump he will be ok til you get a vet appointment.

Thanks Sam - I'm not sure if I made it clear that the lump is on his back/lower neck (i.e. the top of his spine), not on his throat, in case that changes anything.

I've not heard of fatty lumps before - is this common on dogs? Hugo is a fussy eater & does not do very well on any food, so he's a slim chap, despite eating two meals a day and plenty of snacks in between! Would very slim dogs still get fatty depsosits such as this?

His breathing is fine. I can't find a puncture site but then it's very difficult to see anything with all his wriggling and black fur. I walked him by the river earlier, it's very marshy down there and therefore a prime spot for midgies/gnats and all their relatives - if they're about at this time of year. If it were an abcess, I'd have thought he'd be in more pain when we 'squidge' his lump.

Ho hum. Nowt we can do until Monday I guess. It's probably Hugo's evil plan just to get to sleep on my bed tonight!

Thanks for all the advice - greatly appreciated.

Lady G

Hiya
I think if its not bothering him then try not to worry ,If you really are worried then the vets usually do 24 hr cover ( for an extortianate fee :) )
It may be a bite ,you would have noticed it sooner if it was any thing developing over time.
Sorry I'm not much comfort -let us know how you get on
Liz :)

Hi Lady G

You did not give me the exact site in your email to me but this makes me even more think it is likely to be an anti-biotic injection provided he has had one of course :)

Christine

right, I assumed it was underneath. Sounds like an injection site...has he had a few jabs recently? If so, they can sometimes get either a bit of a reaction at the site, or even an abcess. Either way, don't fret, it doesn't sound life threatening :D

Hi

My dog Murphy was at the vet last week for a lump on his neck at the back of the neck.It was about a 1p peice size. The vet described this as similar to warts in humans. Cant remember the proper name, and gave a steroid cream. Lump went down in days.

Mick

Hugo hasn't had any injections for a couple of weeks since his op, he's been on anti-biotic tablets since then - a delayed reaction perhaps? The lump is no bigger today and still not causing him any pain so I promise not to panick anymore until I've spoken to the Doggly Doc.

Thanks for all your input chaps.

Lady G

The anti-biotic I mentioned can take two or three weeks to come up in a lump so I think that is most likely. Do breeds other than Dobes react with a lump to injections sites of a certain anti-biotic?

Christine

if its where the chip went in, id have it checked out, just incase!

I think whether its an injection site problem or chip reaction problem if it hasn't improved significantly by tomorrow a trip to the vets is in order.
Bec

Dizzy - what sort of problems do migrating chips cause? The lump does correspond with where his chip went in.

if its where it went in it doesnt sound like its migrated, but perhaps hes having a reaction to it, ---best to make sure, how long ago was he chipped?

About a year ago. Both dogs and both cats had it all done on the same day so I remember it well! No animal would trust me for days!

ive had mine done-poppys had hers for around 2years , got it done at crufts!!! no problems, caseys had hers about a year, done at the vets as yet no bother, but there was a thread on here a while back re migrating chips, i think it was leighs dogs chip had gone into his shoulder, if you do a search you might find something to help

Ta!

I've just had my kittens chipped when they were neutered and the queen had a reaction to her chip or the stuff they put on before she was chipped. She had a large soft lump with a hard centre for about a wk, it didn't seem to bother her and gradually disappeared over a day or 2.

On the migrating front, I had 2 move last yr in 2 puppies from the same litter, that weren't scurffed etc and they moved to the shoulder but didn't cause any reaction. A 3rd chip failed completely it was read about 6 wks after inplantation but a few wks later couldn't be read at all. Bit of a panic as this was a puppy due to be exported to Germany about 5 days later, she had to be rechipped and her papers sorted quickly to ensure she could leave the country with her brother.

how awful, i hoped you complained to the vet that chipped them :(

The vet who chipped my kittens sorted her out no problems and FOC Dizzy so that was ok.

On the migrating/failure front that wasn't a vet, but a qualified chipper and in view of recent events on another Private board this weekend I'll not comment any further.

My two both have migrating chips! Both done at different times, one dog has his chip down his front leg (can be felt under the skin) and the other dogs chip is down his chest. Just hope if ever they were scanned they were checked all over and not just a quick flick with the scanner on the back of the neck, as often seen on Tv!!

didnt you complain about the vet who did it, ???? and i THINK theyve got a newer version outnow thatsless likely to go walk about,

Would have thought it was worth getting new chips put in, just to be on the safe side....also would think that if you made enough noise then the chip company would do it FOC.

I also think that people who scan for chips do not take a little more effort in locating chips, especially in view that it is known that some do move. Whilst manufacturers have done their best to minimise migration they cannot guarantee implantation method or something happening to the dog after being chipped! I always think it's best to take as much time as possible to locate chips as surely it's better the dog goes back to it's owners rather than being rehomed which has occured in some cases!

I did complain when it happened with the oldest dog and got another chip put in FOC but when it came to the second dog they said it happened often and that they had notified all the local police, dog pound etc., to make sure they scan all over. But we have moved since then........!!

Hi Bec, my vet when looking for a chip scans the whole dog! I really think it`s the manufacturers who need to get it right,*especially in view of the fact that it is known that some do migrate* after all they are the ones who profit the most! Don`t know about anyone elde but I get a little fed up with "no guarantees" to chips migrating, vaccine adverse reactions, vets not being ethical, DNA testing proven wrong, BVA scoring dependent on the examiners mood/vets xray position wrong & not must chance of an appeal,when I have to fork out my hard earned money for all these things that people *in authority*tell me I have to do when they can`t get it right themselves! By the way all pups over here have to be chipped before they can be registered. I am sick to death of manufacturers & the money they are making from unsuspecting & believing pet owners. Any way as I understand it when a vet in UK has a dog brought in they can`t divulge (data protection act) the info from the chip if it`s not the dogs owner so dog goes home with the finder. If I`m wrong I`ll be happy to be put right.
Christine, Spain

I was told that on the continent some vets or chippers are still using the old chips and not the proper european standard ones so that could be part of the problem. If the chip is not inserted correctly between the shoulder blades or is moved before adhesion then the chip has a greater chance of migration. Although I chip I accept that it is not 100% foolproof but then neither is tatooing! Chipping is just the prefered method for me.
I do understand that it is us who pays the money and the manufacturers seem to get away with it but it really is a matter of pushing those concerned starting with the person who implanted the chip.
Personally if I had a chip that had moved on a dog then I would stick another one in in the correct place to minimise risk of it not being found. But then I get the chips at cost so I save money that way!
Bec

Vet in Gibraltar is RCSV so supposedly has to use comply to DEFRA as dogs go to UK by passport & chips have to able to be read by UK customs, therefore compatable to be read by machine readers throughout europe, definately UK tho. Do not know of any one chipping animals except vets here. Gibraltar is a British colony & therefore British Law applies.
Can`t speak for the continent myself, thought European Community applied for the continent tho of which UK is a member. Don`t know really they seem to make rules that nobody ever adheres to only the poor law abbiding folk!

A lady I know with a dobe bitch that had been winning really well, RCCs I think, has had to be taken ot of the ring with a terrrible reaction to her Microchip.

It seems that the chip broke, and the body reacted, causing massive abscess and scarring. there was literally ahard attached lumpy mass about 6 inches by 9 inches across her dhoulder, and this was after it had ben drained. It slowly improved and softened, and the scar tissue is no longer attached to the muscle, though it still feels unpleasantly grainy, and there is a scar where the vet had to cut to get rid of the chip.

I told her to coatact the chip manufacturers to pay the bill!!! I don't think she has done anything about it though, as she can't be foing with the hassle.

Hi B/less, whats the bet the manufacturers will say *this is rare* but it`s not its very sad for the dog & all concerned.
Christine, Spain.

Hi Christine, yes my labs have. In fact I think any breeds can react with any thing injectable, well my labs have & when I talked to vet about it he said it`s not uncommon in all dogs, never thought to ask him why tho!!!!! Big lumps on the place they were injected on.
Christine, Spain.

I come up in huge lumps whenever I have vaccinations, whether it's for tropical diseases or tetanus.

I'm well and healthy. As far as I'm concerned, it's what a healthy body does to a "foreign substance". If that's my reaction to a simple vaccination, imagine how unwell I'd be if I caught the illness?? I'd be dead!! I'm not prepared to take the risk. Not with me. Not with my dogs either.

Hi J/genie & here`s another one not prepared to take any more risks, especially with my dogs!!!!!!!!! :)
Christine, Spain.

I have two GSDs who both, during the last three weeks, have been unfortunate enough to have had either an illness or injury. Foggy developed a very large lump in his neck (near to his shoulder) three weeks after receiving a pain killing injection and Mia's lump appeared the next day after finding Foggy's! She too had also received the same pain killing injection. They both went to the vet and I was told that the lump will disperse but takes three to four weeks. They are both getting smaller (the lumps, not the dogs!) but am keeping an eye on them both. I will request, in future, if alternative pain killing injection can be given as I am told that sometimes the lumps can become infected.

Oops! I've caused a debate about chips without meaning to! Hugo's been to the vet, they don't know what's caused the lump but agree that it may be a reaction to a jab considering it's position. They scanned his chip but the scanner is so powerful it kept picking up the chip about a foot away from the dog, therefore the chip's exact location cannot be determined.

The usual advice - wait and see. However, the lump has shrunk today so all is well I think.

As an aside, when the RSCPCA chaps scan our strays that get handed in, they do go over the whole dog here (Bath/Wiltshire area) so maybe they have caught on to migrating chips in some areas.

Lady G