QuestionWe have a 5 month old black & tan minature dachshund bitch, when she was 3 months old we noticed a lump on her back that grew quite rapidly the vet treated her with anti inflamatories and antibiotics which did not work, she ended up having surgery to remove what was 2 lumps by this time, one felt quite tough and was about the size of a cherry the other was felt very fluidy and was about the size of a plum. The vet said they were fatty lumps and of no consequence. They have now both come back, they do not cause any pain or restriction in movement but they look very odd. The vet now wants to take samples for analysis. Have you come accross this before in such a young dog? Do you know what causes it or what is the best treatment plan?
AnswerIf it is a fatty lump, she is most likely to get more as she ages. It is unusual for one so young I think because it mostly occurs in older, heavy females. Get her spayed - you do not want to take the chance of her getting pregnant now. Since she is so young I would be very concerned about letting her breed. Def. have your vet take samples - I am surprised when they were removed that this was done then. In some cases it can be cancerous but most of the time it is just ugly and non-threatening. The time it is a problem is when they develop on the legs and it causes restriction of movement. I had a foster that had so many she could barely walk and it was terrible to look at. She had to have extensive surgery to have them all removed. No one really knows the cause of them and there really is no treatment other than removing them. But again, more will likely grow. Let me know how it goes!
