Hi

Just noticed this on my labrador's leg, she has had a bare patch for a while which never iritated her and the vet wasn't worried about but whilst grooming her tonight it looks far more than I have previously noticed.

She is an old lady at 14 and we've already had some cancer cut out a couple of years ago, it doesn't seem to annoy her when I handle it and she's still walks without any issue.

EDIT: Forgot to ask the question, I am assuming it is a tumour, but some advice please - vets are closed til Monday so can't take her down til then.

CIMG2011.jpg

CIMG2012.jpg

Thanks Ian

Cant see exactly in the pic, but it looks like it is on the outside of her elbow
is it over a little knobbly part of bone in the elbow or around there? If so I think it could be whats called a hygroma, Its caused by pressure where they lay especially if its the side they favour. It can start as a callous and then a hygroma forms and can become infected, so if its where I think it is, I think you have a good chance its that. If you google Elbow Hygromas, hopefully there may even been some pictures you can see if they look the same. I would of course still get it checked out it needs to be confirmed if indeed thats what it is and also if it is
infected and weeping, then its going to need antibiotics anyway.

__________________

it doesn't look angry or anything so as you said she doesn't seem bothered by it so I don't think you're doing anything wrong by leaving it until the vets is open .. . especially since the vet has seen it before

however I think Sled dog hotel is right as to me it doesn't actually look cancerous but they may still do a biopsy or scraping or something on it just to make sure

my dog is covered in fatty lumps and weird things but the vet says that it's all just because she's a girl and never had pups :S

__________________

Thank you both, it is on her front elbow on the side she tends to lay so I think you are right, it's just become more 'lumpy' but it isn't weeping or causing distress so I can breathe out a bit.

Thanks again

Ian

Think there is a fair chance thats what it is, Large dogs tend to get them, especially more as they get older. I know they wont always lay on beds, they get too hot, but it can help if you get padded beds, they even do memory foam type ones now, for dogs with arthritis and stiff joints. Its laying on harder unpadded floors that dont help. If its more just dry Knobbly hard skin,then rubbing in vitamin E oil can help or I also have used the little pots of the vaseline with aloe vera in it, or aloe vera itself. Any of these help.

__________________

I recently noticed a mole on one of my Lab bitches, she's just turned six, so not htat old. When I took her to the vets the response was that we should remove it, then find out what it is, which I'm not willing to do as she doesn't come through GA's too well. I asked around for advice from a couple of friends who are pretty much experts in the breed, and they suggested if I was worried about it, to book her in for a fine needle aspiration, to try to determine whether the cells are cancerous or normal, although I was also warned that this isn't always conclusive. So I decided to keep an eye on it, and take it from there really. A few weeks down the line, and it's just the same mole on her skin that it was when I first found it, it's mobile ie part of her skin, not attached to anything underneath, and doesn't look sore or weepy at all; if any of that changes, then I'll have to rethink. The answer for me isn't always to remove something just in case, particularly where GA is concerned, but definitely get the advice of your vet, and possibly a second opinion or two, to help you make a decision. Good luck with your girl, hope it's just a worry about nothing