My 7ish yr old bitch (rescue, not totally sure of age) has had several on her hind quarters, neck and shoulders. The vet said to leave them alone as it is just a Shepherd thing, I've had a few in my past Shepherds but not as many as in my current bitch.

The thing that concerns me is that my friend who has bred Shepherds for years says that I should take her and get them all removed as a couple of hers in the past have gone on to develop cancerous tumours What is the likelyhood of this? She is mainly BARF fed with the odd titbit of our food thrown in. All of my past Shepherd ones were innocent but the worry is always there. She seems to grow them every couple of weeks and then they disperse and and sometimes come up again. I have "bothered" my vet many times with this question and he just says that if it continues to grow and is there for more than a month then that is the time to see him.

My breed can be prone to them, but they are benign. 

This article gives the best and least intrusive method of having them removed.  It is a human article, but I have had them done this way on a 9 year old bitch that had two (had them for years but went under GA for something else so had them done at the same time) as have several of my freinds.  It saves the dog having to ahve a GA and being cut about and shaved.

http://www.aafp.org/afp/20020401/1409.html

A friends vet was so pleaased with the technique as it saves time and money for his clients who otherwise might not have them removed.

Very interesting article, thank you. :)

Now all I have to do is convince my vet, I would really be happier having them removed than leaving them. Trouble is she gets them so often, I have a feeling I will be in and out of the vets. I wonder why some breeds are prone to them.

Now this is a question that excersises the minds of breed enthusiasts.  Seems to be no rhyme or reason.  there soes seem to be a familial link, but on the other hand I have five generaions and have only had them in my secodn oldest, but she has only had 3 in her whole life, two removed at 9 years of age after havign them many years and causing her no bother, and one has come up recently and again no problems with it other than I take care not to catch it with a comb.

There is a bitch near me that has been plagued with them and gets loads and loads, but also has very dry coat all ehr life ever since she was spayed at only five months of age.  Now I knew this bitches litter sister, and she only ever had the odd one, and her daughters haven't had problems with them, and her Grandchildren neither.

Hi Brainless,

You are right, there doesn't seem to be a pattern to it. All of my other shepherds delveloped them at about the age of 5 upwards. I had this bitch spayed 2 yrs ago and she has always had a very good shiny coat with good skin. She was not spayed because of other health probs when rescue got her in and because they knew me, didn't bother with doing it and relied on me to do it. But I have found that my other ones didn't seem to have as many cysts unspeyed. I wonder...., coincidence or not? Does it have something to do with hormonal balance or age/diet?

it still worries me though and I hate to feel them all scabby and horrible, I am checking them daily like a cyst woman possessed!!!. At the moment she feels like one of those spiney balls that they play with.