Hi my dog Jerry is approximately 15 years old and has had a small soft mobile fatty lump on his chest for over a year.  This week I noticed rather a flat, hard lump that was on the same side of his chest but very different in appearance and feel.  It is more noticeable when he is laid down but can be seen when he is standing, it starts at the front left leg and is approximately 6" in diameter.  It is very hard on feeling it and would appear to be on the outside of his chest wall but you can not easily feel the edges.  As it is so large you would think that it would have been easliy noticable but I have no real idea how long he has had it, he has fairly long hair and with it being farily flat it is not that obvious.

I took him to the vets on Monday who told me it was probably a fatty lump and that I could have it biopsied but it would be expensive and even if it was a cancerous lump then it would be practically impossible to remove successfully as it was so large (it is approximately the size of a large hand diameter with fingers spread).  I am at a loss what to do as I just feel that to leave it would be worse case scenario.  I realise that he is an old boy and whilst relatively fit still, a large operation might not be in his best interests but I just don't feel reassured that to leave it and 'keep an eye on it' is in his best interests either.  I do intend to take him back later this week to see a more experienced vet as the one I saw on Monday was quite young and seemed to be thinking on her feet as it were.  Any advice would be much appreciated.

He is eating and drinking normally and his toilet habits are unchanged.  In all other ways he seems healthy enough other than slight arthritis.

Sarah

I think considering hs age the best thing to do is leave it. So long as he is happy eating, drinking and can go to the toilet ok I would leave him alone to enjoy life.

He has made it to a grand age and so enjoy every day you have with him.

Lucy
xx

Personally I'd leave it alone. To remove a lump that size would be a massive job involving skin grafts to cover the open wound (from your description it sounds as though the skin above it would have to be removed as well), so I wouldn't put the dog through the distress of surgery that is unlikely to give him many more years of life. I'd let him enjoy his last years in comfort.

Hi,
If he was mine, I would leave him, as all ready said if he eats, goes to the loo, and is not in pain, it is quite common in older dogs, best left alone in my opinion.

Just love him,

Denese

Have to agree with the others here. Dakko had lots of lumps that may have been fatty lumps or may have been more sinister but as he was 13 and they weren't bothering him the vet said to leave well alone, so we did.

I agree with the other replys. I have a dog of 14 years and he has many fatty lumps. Some are very large and really stick out, but he has had them for many years and caused him no trouble.

Last year I found a very large one at the front of his chest which wraps itself under his front leg.  It too felt firmer than the other lumps so I had it checked out by the vet. He did the usual needle biopsy on it and it came back clear. The vet suggested I could have it removed, but I decided to leave well alone unless it was interfering with his walking, which to date it is not.

My old girl has developed a number of large lumps just in the last couple of weeks!  I have decided to leave them.  She is itching a lot but other than that still seems really well.

Thank you all to those who have replied, it's very heartening to hear words of reassurance and comfort from those with dogs in similar positions.  I will see how things go, it's very easy to over react when your best friend's life is in your hands.