possible treatment for my dog

Question
Hi I have a mixed dog his name is zac he is about 60 pounds
He has a lot of bumps on his ribcage. When he was younger we had it analyzed and it was not cancer. We had one removed but for some reason not the other one. The problem is that it is getting huge and he has other one's growing nowm they are not big yet but am worried about how big they will get. Is there anything I can do to try to help them stop growing. Thank you very much for your help
Pierre

Answer

Hi Pierre,

Even though you had your dog's growth evaluated by the vet once, you need to have your vet re-examine them now because it's been some time and the growths have gotten larger. A dog that's prone to developing benign growths will often have more than one.

There's nothing you can do to stop the growths from growing larger.  If they get big enough to cause discomfort or difficulty in mobility, or  if they get irritated they may need to be removed. Left untreated, your dog's growths can grow alarmingly large.  Having the growths removed before they get really big is easier on your dog, and will probably be a simpler procedure for the vet, so don't put off having your dog examined.

If you are having trouble afford veterinary care, first talk to your regular vet. Ask your veterinarian if he or she will let you work out a payment plan. Many veterinarians are willing to work out a weekly or monthly payment plan so that you do not have to pay the entire cost of veterinary care up front. If you don't have a regular vet, try call all the vets in your community, some might be cheaper than others. Ask friends and family to lend you the money necessary for the office visit, you may be able to get an advance on your salary if you explain the situation to your employer.
Another option is to contact your local shelter or Humane Society. Some shelters operate or know of local subsidized veterinary clinics or veterinary assistance programs. If you happen to live within driving distance to veterinary school, check with them to see if they offer discount services to the public. There are two special credit cards to apply for which help with medical bills (including veterinary bills) read about them here:

http://www.carecredit.com
http://www.healthcard.citicards.com


Best of luck,
Patti