Before people shout, she is booked in to see my regular vet first thing on Monday, but I need to know whether this breed is, like the Basset, prone to these fatty cysts.   I was stroking her earlier this evening, and noticed a raised area, to one side of her neck - not in the area of the lymphs.   It doesn't bother her to have me touch it, but it's about the size of a pea, and unlike the fatty cysts some of my Bassets have had over the years, this is hard.   It doesn't seem to be attached to anything and from what I can see in her close pelt, there is no redness, or wound site.   I will do the necessary, depending on what the vet finds on Monday - fine needle aspirate etc. but I'd welcome any input about Whippets and lumps like this please.

She's my first Whippet after X-number of years with Bassets.   She's 5, and was spayed when 11 months.   Up to now, her health has been excellent (still is apart from this).   If anything she's probably carrying a bit too much weight, but she's acting as normal.   She does 'rag' her Kong Wubba viciously, and it might have hit her, but I'd have thought any bruising from that would be soft, and potentially painful?

Thanks

It depends.....we have had some who never get any lumps or bumps but a bitch we have just had back at 11 years old has some lumps & a cyst. We have had dogs long enough now to know what is a vet check & what is not.
Weight ~ A Whippet bitch, is around 10 kg's but if she is taller at the shoulder she would be around 12 kg's.

Hope all is OK on Monday, is she microchipped?

I would query the microchip - not too common but some dogs do react to them.

Otherwise it could be benign, I have dogs with smaller hard lumps as you describe that are harmless, fatty lumps aren't always softer.  My last dobe had a rock hard lump in her chest that me and the vet were both concerned about, it was buried deep in the muscle layers and immobile but it turned out to be a benign fatty lump.

She's not, yet, microchipped mainly because she is a Whippet, much as others I have chatted to say there's no problem!!!  I put this on the back-burner for her, much as I've had my Basset, with scads of surplus skin, done.

As of this morning and £105+ the poorer, she's had a fine needle job, which has been sent off so I'm playing a waiting game.  It's thought not to be a nasty, but perhaps a foreign body she's picked up (not, again, a microchip!!) and she's on a short course of antibiotics meanwhile.   Once we know what's going on, we'll have to make a decision about what happens.   It's right where her normal Whippet collar fits which might make it necessary to have it removed, regardless.   Kerching!!

Do people normally not microchip whippets? Although I rather like whippets and am seriously tempted to get one in the future, I don't know much about them.

Hope you have some good results :)
I grew up with two whippets who didn't have anything like this, but they are super dogs. Don't think I could cope with a hound myself but every time I see one I have to ask to say hello, there's something about the feel of a whippet!!

Jess

> Do people normally not microchip whippets?

Yes, they do!!! I tend to wait until they are a bit older as I normally have someone inparticular to chip but thats just me my most recent 4 were done at 8 months & 5 months. I have known plenty done at 8 weeks old though.

I am biased but personally I wouldnt have any other breed

> I would query the microchip - not too common but some dogs do react to them.

Just a thought, having another breed like MamaBas 'with a bit more skin', I'm always surprised when their chiropractor can find Lucas's chip in his dewlap & yes it's the size of a small pea.

Not at all (not microchip Whippets) in fact those with Whippets I have spoken with do.  It's just she has such tight skin LOL.   Eventually I'll have to get this done, if the laws in the UK require this - much as I really resent being forced into this, and having to pay for it!!!

> It's just she has such tight skin

Well I suppose compared with a Bassett you would think that.

As long as you can lift the skin a shade it is loose enough. I always get my chip placed in the muscle between the shoulder blades.

> and having to pay for it

Some councils do it free especially if they are linked with dogs trust. My last 4 were done for free, although I gave a donation to dogs trust. It was the convenience that the dog warden came to my house, which saved alot of messing about with travelling.

Councils do ANYTHING for free LOL?    I'll have to get in touch with Cornwall CC and see about that ..... nearer the deadline.   I'm hoping against hope that my local vet will do at least a reduced chipping deal, as that approaches.

I'm hoping against hope that my local vet will do at least a reduced chipping deal, as that approaches.

Vets always seem to charge a small fortune for microchipping. Can't you find a local chipper to do it? Much nicer to not have to go to the vet. Many will do it for a tenner or less as if you bulk by chips you can get them for £3.50 each. But I also often see offers of free chipping such as at shows.

I'm always surprised when their chiropractor can find Lucas's chip in his dewlap & yes it's the size of a small pea.

That doesn't quite make sense -there must be some extra tissue around it. I can feel the chips in plenty of my animals and you can tell exactly what it is because of the size and shape of it. It's not pea shaped or sized in any way.

I can feel Daisy's on her shoulder, and it's not shaped like a pea either.

> xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Vets always seem to charge a small fortune for microchipping

Some charitys do it at a much reduced rate. Our local blue cross does it for £5.

Update.   Chipping her is now on the back burner as her results have come back indicating carcenoma.   Not the news I wanted.   She's going in for surgery on Friday.   Good thoughts please.    They will be taking quite wide margins so I'm now wondering how that's all going to look on recovery - it's all very well doing this with a Bassets and all his skin, but I'd suspect quite another with a Whippet much as this is on her neck where there is more skin than in other places.   She is going to need a harness so that's something else I have to sort out for her.

Can anybody please let me know how, if a tumour isn't attached, it can 'spread'.   The pea sized lump on my Whippet's neck feels loose to me - or are the cells free to enter the blood stream and so spread?

Trying to get my head round what's going on!!!

Also has anybody had these tumours excised by cryosurgery - rather than normal surgery?    Would this be less invasive?

I (well one of the dogs) have had carcinoma of pea size removed from a mammary gland, entirely curative, bitch lived to 13 1/2 (another 7 years).

> They will be taking quite wide margins so I'm now wondering how that's all going to look on recovery - it's all very well doing this with a Bassets and all his skin, but I'd suspect quite another with a Whippet much as this is on her neck where there is more skin than in other places. 

I can assure you that the skin on a Whippet is perfectly normal & not tight.

They do get over operations, the same as any other breed & as long as the vets taken enough of the carcinoma all will be fine & in time(once the hair regrows) I doubt if you will even notice where it was. :)

Not sure if this link will work but if it does you can see how even the most horrific injuries where there is very little skin left can heal really well. The dog in the photo was a rescued lurcher with appalling injuries to her throat but just two months after her opertion the wound has healed amazingly.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152016581797708&set=gm.10152058168809802&type=1&theater

Thanks all - I've decided to just have the tumour removed tomorrow, and hope they get it all.   I'm not going for further testing of the tumour.   I'll always spend what it takes for my hounds but I'm not into being fleeced by a vet.   My previous vet of over 13 years, up country, took any number of these off my Bassets and never once were they sent away, and as far as I'm aware (because they almost all lived well beyond the norm for the breed) none was the cause of their demise.

Re tight skin - you have to remember I've lived for over 40 years with Bassets!!!   LOL.

I've had one tested when removed as I felt it might effect any further decisions I made (is if it was cancerous I would be more aware of the significance of further lumps) but I hadn't had the fine needle job done first, if I had had that I doubt I would have bothered as you already know its cancerous, unless you would be persuaded into chemo type treatments I can't see what the gain would be. With my vet it was only around the £35 mark I think though.
Good Luck!

Good luck to Teazle, fingers & paws crossed.

She's at the vet right now as I was persuaded to go ahead and have the tumour removed.   The margins the operating vet suggested looked pretty wide, but again, not having seen her on Monday, she was happy to find it wasn't where she'd thought, making the procedure relatively more easy.   I'm still not having it sent away for testing.   That was quoted as costing £50. with the surgery around £350 - 400.   Hum.   I know it's not all about cost but ...... this is way higher than my previous vet would have charged us, even if it's been some years now since we moved across country.

Fingers crossed she'll come through and be home this afternoon.  Hated leaving her - I had to get out fast because she was going nuts.

> I'm still not having it sent away for testing.   That was quoted as costing £50.

Your vet will have no control over the charges of an outside laboratory.

The removal of the lump from my GR cost me £600 which included the testing so the estimate for your dog's surgery seems to be about right - my dog would cost more due to his larger size and weight. I did have the lump tested as I wanted to be able to have had time to carefully consider what I would do if any further lumps appear.

Wishing your dog a speedy and full recovery :-)

> would cost more due to his larger size and weight

All my Whippets fall into the next price range 10-20kg's, even though some have only been 10.2kg's...

> xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">All my Whippets fall into the next price range 10-20kg's, even though some have only been 10.2kg's...

My GR comes into the 30kg and over group :-)

My Whippet weighs just over 15 kg.   The bill came in (minus lab fee - which cost I know the vet can't dictate!!!) at £214.57 which I thought  extremely reasonable.   The surgery went well - they are keeping the tumour for 3 months in case it's needed to be tested in the near future.   She's quiet and not interested in breakfast (she did have a little scrambled egg last night).    Clearly the anaesthetic has upset her - orange squits this morning which happens.   I note their post-op care sheet doesn't mention this and much as I know to expect this, how many novice owners might not.   I'll have to suggest they put this on the 'to be expected - normal' instructions.   She had a peaceful night, but is coughing a bit - I wish they'd take a tad more care when intubating for the anaesthetic.   This should need to happen.   Cross fingers that taking it off will be an end to this (if it is a malignancy).

Deffinately needing to cut down her weight there, my heaviest 2 are 13.8kg(a male & female)...which will be a good time now having had her operated on.
We always give fish & rice for the first couple of meals after & have never had squits...some can be quite hungry having not had food for well over 24 hours..but we are careful not to overdo the food.

Hope all is well & yes that is very reasonable...

re the coughing, I'm not sure it is caused purely by the localised irritation of the tube but a reaction to the anaesthetic itself and the way fluid builds in the lungs when unconscious. I know the same is true of humans after ops, my mother had a fairly major op ages ago and that was one of the things mentioned that a cough after was normal, I think the longer the surgery the worse?
of course, I could be wrong!
Glad to hear all seems well ATM.

Thing is, she hadn't HAD any food before the squits.   And yes, more often than not with my Bassets, their first few BMs are orange and loose.  

Also re her weight, it's surely not all about the norm - she's a big Whippet, quite apart from a few extra pounds, maybe!!

> Also re her weight, it's surely not all about the norm - she's a big Whippet, quite apart from a few extra pounds, maybe!!

One of my bitches is big for a girl & she is never over 14kgs...I am only trying to advise on the weight & say that she could do with being 14kg rather than over 15kgs.

It's certainly a work in progress   LOL.