Found Another Lump :(

[Kingbob]

I have a Beagle cross named Fred, I rescued him 2 years ago, and best guess he's anywhere between 4-6 yo.

12 months ago i found a small lump on the inside of his leg that the vet checked and said it was a MAST cell tumor. But after removal, they came back and said it had a few MAST cells in it, but wasnt a tumor, looked more like a reaction to an insect bite.

Thread here: Link

Late last year, I found a trapdoor spider that had come indoors. Luckily it must have walked over surface spray as when i found it, it was legs up dying. And in recent weeks with the weather changing, i've killed a bunch of wolf spiders inside and out, and found and killed 2 or 3 redbacks outside.

This week I found another similar lump on Fred again. Different place, this time on his side/chest, almost at the base of his ribs/sternum, but off to one side. Its under the skin, and maybe 15mm across. He has an appointment with the vet this week to get it checked out, but its got me hugely paranoid and worried now, that he either has a MAST tumor hidden somewhere and the 2 lumps are the 'spread', but having caught them quick they didnt form much. OR, he's been bitten by spiders.

Does anyone have any info on dogs being bitten by various spiders, their reactions etc?

He's fine and norrmal. The little lump doesnt cause him any pain, he doesnt pay attention to it, if i touch/rub it he's not fussed. But he was like that last time as well.

I'm hugely worried. I dont want to have to put him through surgery again, but i want the best for him! I'm worried he's got something big and bad lurking inside him, that will one day take him from me

[Erny]

Hi Kingbob - it's awful, wondering and worrying and fearing the worst, isn't it? I know when my previous girl (bless her cotton socks) was still with me, but after she was diagnosed with an adrenal gland tumour, the Vet specialist told me that the tumour would grow and that if I left it, it would eventually cause her adrenal gland to rupture, which would have been a horrible, horrible death. In the months of her palliative care following this diagnosis, I wished time and time again that I could just open her up by a zipper, so I could have a peak to see how things were going and gauge my actions by that, but alas they don't come with 'zippers' and we can only do what we can do. But anyway, that's my story and it's not for here, other than to express the fact that I can and do empathise with you.

I would have thought that if your dog had a spider bite, the site of the lump would have some redness to it.

If it doesn't, that still doesn't mean there is cause for panic. Could be that your dog is predisposed to benign lumps. I think 'one step at a time' is needed here. Our dogs are stoic creatures and they take each thing as it comes. Try to be the same.

I'll be keeping my fingers crossed for you and for your dog that the news is not bad.

Edited May 2, 2010 by Erny

[Kingbob]

Well, he saw the vet this morning, and they were a bit puzzled as well since the last lump initially showed mast cells, but the final pathology didnt. This lump again sounds like a mast tumor, except that it hasnt gone up and down like the last one. Have had an fna biopsy done anyway to find out for sure, and now just waiting on the results.

The vet said if the results come back similar to the last lump, she's going to speak in detail to the pathologist to see whats going on because its actually quite unusual. She doesnt think its a result of a spider bite though, not sure whether to be relieved about that or not!

Looks like surgery may be involved in his near futuire

[Kingbob]

The vet just called with the results of the fna.

Seems the lump is just a lipoma! A lump of fat, what a huge relief!

Going to leave it be for now, and unless it grows or changes shape at all, theres no need for surgery. Just have to keep an eye on it, and perhaps get it re-checked annually just to be safe!

Wow what a relief!

[KitKat]

I was slowly reading the thread and was thinking it might be a lipoma Glad to hear that's all it is

[Gilypoo]

YAH great news... go give your boy lots and lots of cuddles...

Dam dogs they make us humans so worried

[Erny]

Yay for your news, Kingbob. What a relief.

[Kingbob]

Yeah to say its a relief is an understatement!

Nice bit of fresh steak for Freddo for dinner to celebrate!

[Staffyluv]

I have a Beagle cross named Fred, I rescued him 2 years ago, and best guess he's anywhere between 4-6 yo.

12 months ago i found a small lump on the inside of his leg that the vet checked and said it was a MAST cell tumor. But after removal, they came back and said it had a few MAST cells in it, but wasnt a tumor, looked more like a reaction to an insect bite.

Thread here: Link

Late last year, I found a trapdoor spider that had come indoors. Luckily it must have walked over surface spray as when i found it, it was legs up dying. And in recent weeks with the weather changing, i've killed a bunch of wolf spiders inside and out, and found and killed 2 or 3 redbacks outside.

This week I found another similar lump on Fred again. Different place, this time on his side/chest, almost at the base of his ribs/sternum, but off to one side. Its under the skin, and maybe 15mm across. He has an appointment with the vet this week to get it checked out, but its got me hugely paranoid and worried now, that he either has a MAST tumor hidden somewhere and the 2 lumps are the 'spread', but having caught them quick they didnt form much. OR, he's been bitten by spiders.

Does anyone have any info on dogs being bitten by various spiders, their reactions etc?

He's fine and norrmal. The little lump doesnt cause him any pain, he doesnt pay attention to it, if i touch/rub it he's not fussed. But he was like that last time as well.

I'm hugely worried. I dont want to have to put him through surgery again, but i want the best for him! I'm worried he's got something big and bad lurking inside him, that will one day take him from me :p

Glad to hear it was a lipoma

My boy Ollie has MCT (MCT grade 2 - no clear margins and multiple tumour sites - has had it for nearly 5 years now).. MCT can take various forms - some look like dark moles and some look like pinkish warts and then there are the ones under the skin - to me these feel like very hard peas just sitting there: they don't move. When smaller they almost look like they have a point - the fur stands up but as they grow they tend to smooth out and become rounder.

Ollie also has a history of lipoma (fatty lumps that don't cause a problem unless they get big and interfere with movement or they get bumped all the time): these often feel like spongy lumps and are usually soft... We have never had an MCT that was soft, like a lipoma.