Lipoma

Question
Patti,

You had answered a question posted by Darlene on 1-22-2007 and I am in the same boat.  I too had a tumor removed from my dogs leg (front left) in 2009, I was informed by my vet that it was in fact a tumor and nothing to worry about, however, it could come back.  In October 2010, I had noticed that she had a small growth forming again.  I pondered the idea of having it removed again, but she is 13 yrs old and I didn't want to torment her again by putting her through the surgery process.  This morning, I had noticed that she has started to lick it and now it is bleeding slightly.  She does not seem to appear that this thing bothers her, she is continually running and playing with the other dogs.  Should I wrap it with Self-Adherent Pet Bandage Wrap to "prevent" her from licking it?  Please advise.

Answer

Hi Suzanne,

I'm sorry I don't recall the message to Darlene that you are referring to. I've answered over 4000 messages on AllExperts, but I'll try to answer your questions anyway.

Lipomas are so common in dogs, most vets would never get out of surgery if they had to remove every one they encountered. Most of the time they are nothing more than cosmetic, and do not present a health risk to the dog. They do indeed grow back, sometimes dogs develop them in more than one area.

If your dog's Lipoma is bleeding, and your dog is paying extra attention to it by licking, you should have your vet examine your dog. I don't think you can be overcautious, your vet is the real expert here! On very rare occasions, a Lipoma may become malignant. It is important to get all growths checked, even if you are sure it is a Lipoma.

I wouldn't wrap the growth, until your vet can be seen keep the area clean. Wash daily with mild soap and water, and dry gently (a hair drier on warm works well, if your dog allows it).

I hope I've been a help.
Best of luck,

Patti