Dog with possible tumor

[KeddyPie]

I'm very busy, so I don't pay a lot of attention to our dogs (I like to consider that my brother and parents jobs ) But, while nudging her to stop chewing herself, I found a fairly large lump on the elbow of our lab/great dane mix. Because I'm so used to having female rats (which get tumors frequently, so I've developed a routine with that), I called the vet ASAP (since they close in 10 mintues) and requested the next available appointment to get her looked at, so she is going in tomarrow afternoon.

Anyhow, it is a soft, golfball-sized lump on her elbow... RIGHT on her elbow, not off to the side or anything, on one of her front legs. It is not a callous, as it is soft and far too large (feels like a fatty deposit, or feels exactly like a ratty mamory tumor) There is no obvious pain, and it could not have been there longer then 2 days (I can imagine it going unnoticed for a day or two, but I imagine if it had been there longer we defenitly would have seen it). There is no obvious laceration or anything, and she is about a year and a half old (she was abandoned at our home in the middle of the night in a storm, very emaciated, so exact age and background is completly unknown). I am hoping it's nothing serious, but it's about the same size and feel of my rat girls past tumors, which immediantly makes me think "Tumor, tumor!"

Just out of curiosity until we get to the vet, any ideas on what it might be? Again, there is no wound, and there is no pain. I've never heard of random tumors on dog elbows ^^ If it matters, she was also spayed soon after we decided to keep her. (her estimated age was about 9 months, so we're not sure if it was before her first cycle or not)

Thanks, wish us luck, Katy.

 

[Angry_Platy]

My first thought is a cyst

I hope it all goes well. Keep us updated

 

[FishEnthusiast]

At first I thought abscess, but you said there is no pain. I am leaning towards a cyst as well, though I don't know how common they are on a dog's elbow. It very well could be a tumor. Please let us know what happens. My thoughts are with you and your doggie.

 

[Bloo]

Cyst, "fatty lump" abscess. Generally nothing to worry about but certainl always worth getting check asap.

Best of luck !

 

[mr.dark-saint]

Sounds like "Fatty Tumor" my friend who has a Rott/Chow mix has one on his arm pit and one in the throat area. Basically it feels like a "boob" and so far it doesn't seem to bother his day to day. The Vet said to him it'll get bigger and eventually would need to be removed. It all depends on the age of the critter and the location of the tumor. The thing about the removal is knocking the dog out and hope they come out of it. Since most of the danger is in that so you'll have to talk this out and his exprience on the task at hand.

 

[GSD]

best to get it checked out.I hope its nothing life threatning.
keep us updated please

 

[KeddyPie]

Well, our vet seemed rather unconcerned (We never liked him with our dogs, but he's great with the rats) and said it was probably just a little unfection or a nasty bruise. he sucked all the fluid out of it and is going to do pathology on it, and gave her some prednazone... *shrugs* We'll get results in 2 days.

I found it kind o amusing really... She is nromally VERY friendly, and was the happiest dog on earth last time she went to see him... But this time, the secon d Dr. Moore (the only male there) walked in the room, she started doing that REALLY deep "I'll kill you if you touch me" growl. We had to muzzle her, and even a muzzled dog is hard to handle when upset, when they weight 90 pounds... Me and 3 vet assistants had to pin her down ^^

 

[SRC]

Maybe he said something nasty to her last time...I have a firm belief that they CAN understand what we say to them..even if they can't respond (in a way that we can understand them) lol.

Hope everything comes back negative.

 

[GSD]

zac had a bad experience at the vet when he was a pup and now it takes 5 nurses to get him in the room and to hold him down.even if he is just getting a check up

good to hear that everything is ok up to now

 

[RandomWiktor]

Many dogs get fearful at the vet; imagine what you would think if this frightening man that smelled like all other animals, blood, anal glands, betadine, and sterile equipment came up to you on foriegn territory and tried to put you on a slippery table so he could hold you down and poke you with things! While sometimes it was a bad puppy experience at a vet that leads to this behavior, many times it is just the fact that going to the vets is never anything fun, is typically painful or intrustive, and is completely alien and new to them. That, and I think some times they remember, "hey, this is where I got NUETERED!"

Anyways, I'm glad it didn't turn out to be anything too serious. Danes and labs are notorious for arthritis, so being a mix of the two, she might be setting up for it as well, which can cause joint swelling and the like. Hopefully now that it is drained and she is being treated, her elbow will feel much better ^^

 

[Naughtygirlrlw]

Let's face it...is there any of us who would be happy to
get a cold thermometer shoved up our butts ?

 

[Angel Lady]

Yea really I can understand why our animals do not want to go to the vet, If I would have known my ferret was going to pass away like that i wouldnt have left him either. I thought he was getting help. Instead he was dying with cancer... I hope your dog is ok and it dont have to go through what my poor baby went through.. I will be praying for it,,

 

[BlueIce]

Keddy,
danes are prone to tumors...usually completely harmless fatty tumors.If the vet wasn't concerned,then I would rest easy.

 

[KeddyPie]

I don't remember what it is called >_> But it's nothing serious. Just a buildup of fluids. We were told that if it gets really bad, to have her brougt in and have it drained. Then if it starts building up again, to put a pressure bandage on it to try to keep the friction down.

And I understand fear of the vets ^^ Al my other dogs, and rats, and cat, are TERRIEFIED. But Mili has been in on SEVERAL occasions, and had surgery there.... And every other time, she was THRILLED to go there, licking evryone... Even after surgery, she was excited ^-^ It's just the very sudden change that confused me. We believe she was abused by a man before we got her, considering as our new pet, the first thing she did was try and kill my dad. ^^ I'll tell you the story some time, it's quite amusing.

 

[kimbowee]

My lab just had to have a cyst drained again in the exact same spot about a month ago. Right on his elbow. It was also tested and was a fluid build-up. It started over his callous and quickly grew. This is the second time it has had to be drained. They started him on Rimadyl & prednisone treatment and its hasn't been back yet luckily. He took the prednisone for 10 days & Rimadyl for 14 days. So far so good.

I also had a Dane that had to be put down last year at the age of 5. He had an intestinal cancer. He used to get fatty tumors on his back alot that would have to be removed but were never cancerous. I had gotten Kuma at 8 weeks old & he was in 1-2 times a year to have the fatthy tumors removed.

Good luck with your pup.