Old Dog Lumps and Bumps–What’s a Lipoma?
By Audrey Guida, DVM
Have you ever had a dog with a fatty tumor? Chances are, you have. Fatty tumors, or lipomas, are tumors that consist of fat cells. The word “tumor” can be scary, however, lipomas are a benign type of mass. Lipomas are slow growing, and oftentimes they are soft, round, and they can be moved around under the skin. Usually, they can be found on the sides of the chest, under the chest, and along the belly.
Lipomas are most commonly found in older dogs, around 9-12 years old. Not often, but sometimes, lipomas can occur in younger dogs. The most common breeds predisposed include Labrador retriever, beagle, German pointer, English springer spaniel, doberman pinscher, miniature schnauzer, American cocker spaniel, weimaraner, and dachshund.
How do we diagnose a fatty tumor? A quick and easy test called a fine needle aspirate can be done and sent off to the lab. If the tumor has been growing bigger over time, surgical removal with a biopsy can also be done to diagnose a lipoma. In most cases, surgical removal is curative for lipomas. There are few cases however in which a lipoma is deep within muscle tissue or invading important vessels or nerves, which can make removal challenging. For geriatric or dogs with certain conditions, monitoring is often best for them since the risk under general anesthesia can outweigh the benefit of removal. Unless a lipoma is growing rapidly or changing shape, it can be safe to carefully monitor over time.
Does your fur baby have any lumps and bumps? Fatty tumors are benign, but other types of lumps and bumps aren’t. It is important to bring your dog into your veterinarian right away to get them checked out, just to be sure!