Dog; Abnormal growth; left flank

Question
Hello Jana,

I believe I have written to you before to ask questions about either my dog or cat.  Something has come up that has me very concerned and I'd like your opinion.

I know you said you're not a vet, and you do not attempt to diagnose problems.  But maybe you can give me an idea of what I'm dealing with.

My dog has developed a "knot" that is a little larger than a golf ball on her left side, just behind her front left shoulder.  She has shown no discomfort or no change in behavior since this growth appeared.  And she does not respond when I put pressure on it.  I looked up a diagram on dog's internal organs and it looked like this growth may be in the vicinity of her liver, but I'm not sure.   Since she has shown no signs of distress or sickness I have not contacted her vet yet.  But I will probably do that on Monday.  But I would like your opinion in the meantime.   

She does not and has never gotten "people food", and I give her only the highest quality dog food I can get.  Right now she is getting Nature's Balance dry, and Nature's Recipe canned.  I mix them together.  I have looked up the ratings on canned foods and there are some higher rated canned foods out there, and also more expensive.  I am considering switching her canned food to something of higher quality.

Thank you,
Gary

Answer
I have no clue how old your dog is, but the chances are pretty good that she has a lipoma on her ribcage area.

They are generally soft, squishy masses that are usually benign.

Some breeds get them more often then others and older dogs get them more often than young ones.

They are rarely serious, IF that's what it is, but can cause mobility problems if they get very large.

It's best to have your vet look it over and if it's possible, have it removed before it gets very large. He/She can tell you what it is as well.

Sorry for the late answer, I was out of town.