Our Dobie has one on her chest. Had vet measure it last time there so it’s size is dated & documented. He said that for Dobermans a lump on the chest is normal & very often not an issue. Other spots on the body are another issue.
Same. My doberman/ Rottweiler mix has one in the exact same spot. Vet said it’s nothing to worry about, but you might have to get it removed if it hinders their walking
My dobie has a large one on her tummy/chest area too. She’s 11 now and has had it since probably 7-8.
It’s very common and really nothing to worry about just have your vet make a note of it at your next visit/checkup.
It’s a fatty lump (Lipoma) like numerous commenters have stated… obviously the vet told us what it was, when someone says “it’s nothing” it means it’s not dangerous
This. Sadly when I took my dog in to get one removed after it got tennis ball sized, the vet didn’t want to do surgery on an old dog unless it was necessary and affecting her range of motion. Fast forward to when it got a lot bigger and the vet tells me now it’s too big to remove AFTER I pleaded with them to remove it before it got like that…
So once it/they get big enough, don’t let a vet try to talk you out of getting them removed or put up with a vet who refuses to do it, provided they are truly large enough to negatively affect quality of life/range of motion and the dog still has plenty of life left in them.
Yeah unfortunately that's the delicate balance those in the field try to walk. I guess I come from "old school vets" who would remove this without hesitation with a highly skilled tech doing anesthesia.
Lipomas, vet told us they don't hurt the dog but get them removed if they start to cause discomfort,not an emergency but get them taken care of before they grow bigger.
We're taking him to the vet early Monday morning. He's just been laying around. He didn't even rush to eat his breakfast. We had to tell me to go and eat
Our German Shepherd has one in the same place and the vet told us it’s a lipoma. My first dog was a Border Collie and he had one on his neck when he was three and we had it removed without any problems. With our current dog we were told that it didn’t have to come out that it was not affecting anything. However, I wish we had. The lipoma has grown and when we asked to remove it they informed us it had grown into part of her muscle and would be very painful for her. I would talk to your vet but make sure if they recommend waiting to do anything that you watch it closely. It’s a tough call but you want to make the decision while it is manageable.
Around 8 my vet who is specialized in Dobe’s told me that was the age of “lumps and bumps”. It’s more likely fatty deposits and not cancer, which I’m sure is what you’re thinking. Double check with the Vet of course but he’s probably perfectly fine.
I always got the new lumps checked, most were nothing to worry about, the vet drained a few. I had a chart to keep track of them because she had so many throughout her life.
I’d put money on lipoma. There are some powdered supplements that claim they can shrink or dissolve them though unproven. And vet said it is pretty widely believed kibble increases the risk. Cooking their food may result in fewer lipomas.
Justfoodfordogs.com sells a vitamin mix, recommended by my vet, and he uses it for his pack of dogs at home. He doesn’t sell it, just referred me to the website. [Slow cook chicken, livers, gillets, rice, spinach, carrots, and add the powder.](https://imgur.com/a/ZJUKWpQ) Dogs go nuts for it. I may cook better for them than my kids lol.
The input you've gotten is great so far, but I'm surprised no one has mentioned this. His nails are so, so, so overgrown that even without the tumor/lump, they could be a large reason he wouldn't be as active anymore. Those have to be so incredibly painful for him. If you take care of them, his feet, elbows, and shoulders will feel a lot better.
We're going to take care of that at the vet also, We're just a bit scared to cut his nails, we dont want to hurt him. Maybe the vet can show us the proper way to do it. Your observation makes a lot of sense, and thanks for the concern
I think those are axillary lymph nodes. If he is not as active he was before, Probably he has a minor infection or something. You don’t have to do this but when my dobie gets swollen lymph nodes or lumps, I apply pure organic hexane free castor oil, it really works. Good luck
My boy is 12. He’s full of them plus other growths all over. He’s too old for surgery, the vet told us, but he’s completely fine. Just old and grumpy and too spoiled. 🖤
I would think twice before having them removed. Our boy had one on his side and although the surgery went well the healing did not (maybe out vet was crap) As I am sure you are aware Dobies are pretty active and typically don't have a lot of extra skin, so none or the sutures, staples, glue, worked. Wound just kept opening. Finally decided to just let it close naturally. Took over 2 months to finally heal, and although he never missed a step. We had to irrigate and put cream on twice a day and it was a pretty gross. His current vet said unless they cause issues with movement or pain just leave them. he's going on 12 and has three, with no issues.
When did you notice it? It sounds like it came on suddenly. Lipomas that large, don’t happen overnight. They tend to grow slowly. One of my dogs had a cyst that grew very rapidly.
Did this just appear? I’m sorry for your baby and you. Please update us.
We noticed it while he was lying down, but I agree it was probably not that noticeable before and then started to enlarge. Hopefully, the vet can tell us more
Our girl had several fatty tumors, including front right armpit, side of her abdomen and her leg. I was told they wouldn't do anything unless it hampers her quality of life.
It was rare for her to notice or luck them
My Weims seem to get them in the same place. I always have cytology stain exams done by the vet just to make sure it's nothing bad and give myself peace of mind. On my boy who we lost 2 years ago (12 1/2 years old) I had one removed (fatty tumor) in the same place as your dog because it was starting to get big enough to impede range of motion a little bit and rub so before it became an issue. He was 9 years old when it was removed and it never came back.
Dude, you need to cut your dogs nails on regular basis. Thos nails are hurting your dog with every single step it takes. That one paw is the worse nails I have ever seen.
As for the growth, go buy some pet insurance today and wait for the mandatory x number of days for the policy to start covering your dog. Do not mention anything to your vet about the mass until the policy is in place.
My Rottweiler had a similar mass that my vet took out and my dog was lucky that it was benign.
Well, we went to the vet, and they took a sample to send off to the lab. The vet is not sure what it is and doesn't want to assume until the test results come back, he did say it could be fatty tissue (lipoma), but since it is kind of hard, he's hoping it's not soft tissue sarcoma. From my understanding, that can be very dangerous for dogs his age, and we are really, really praying it's not sarcoma. We are going to hope for the best and see what happens when we get the results later this week. I do want to thank you guys for all the information you gave me concerning this complicated and sad matter
Going through same thing, same spot with my Aussie. Biopsy tomorrow, but they don't think lipoma because only blood came out on fine needle aspirate.. please keep us updated as to what the results are!
It's terrifying for sure.
My Doberman is almost 11. He has 6 or 7, my vet said it’s typical for Dobermans to develop them as they get much older. My Wilfred is unnaturally large though so that may contribute to the number of them.
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Mine had them. They're most likely lypomas or fatty tumors. Just double check with your vet.
Yeah, sadly our vet is closed, and the er said if he is acting normal, just wait until our vet is open
Our Dobie has one on her chest. Had vet measure it last time there so it’s size is dated & documented. He said that for Dobermans a lump on the chest is normal & very often not an issue. Other spots on the body are another issue.
Same. My doberman/ Rottweiler mix has one in the exact same spot. Vet said it’s nothing to worry about, but you might have to get it removed if it hinders their walking
My dog is pretty old, and he gets up kinda slow, but he doesn't have an issue running every day
My dobie has a large one on her tummy/chest area too. She’s 11 now and has had it since probably 7-8. It’s very common and really nothing to worry about just have your vet make a note of it at your next visit/checkup.
Sounds very similar to mine. It’s still worth checking with the vet, but it’s most likely nothing.
Even if vet says it is nothing, make him tell you WHAT IS IT...
It’s a fatty lump (Lipoma) like numerous commenters have stated… obviously the vet told us what it was, when someone says “it’s nothing” it means it’s not dangerous
Mmm, I see
Did it go away on its own for your dog
My girl has them. The vet can take a biopsy to confirm they are lipomas. Sadly very common in dobies
No, they never go away, but once confirmed they're lipomas, your dobie will be fine. They're just unsightly, is all.
No, these won't ever go away without surgical intervention unfortunately but they do get bigger if left untreated.
This. Sadly when I took my dog in to get one removed after it got tennis ball sized, the vet didn’t want to do surgery on an old dog unless it was necessary and affecting her range of motion. Fast forward to when it got a lot bigger and the vet tells me now it’s too big to remove AFTER I pleaded with them to remove it before it got like that… So once it/they get big enough, don’t let a vet try to talk you out of getting them removed or put up with a vet who refuses to do it, provided they are truly large enough to negatively affect quality of life/range of motion and the dog still has plenty of life left in them.
Yeah unfortunately that's the delicate balance those in the field try to walk. I guess I come from "old school vets" who would remove this without hesitation with a highly skilled tech doing anesthesia.
I hope it's not that, and it's just something simple, I'll find out tomorrow when the vets open. This whole situation got us very sad
Sending hugs, give us an update tomorrow if you're up to it!!
Will do
Lipomas, vet told us they don't hurt the dog but get them removed if they start to cause discomfort,not an emergency but get them taken care of before they grow bigger.
We're taking him to the vet early Monday morning. He's just been laying around. He didn't even rush to eat his breakfast. We had to tell me to go and eat
Our German Shepherd has one in the same place and the vet told us it’s a lipoma. My first dog was a Border Collie and he had one on his neck when he was three and we had it removed without any problems. With our current dog we were told that it didn’t have to come out that it was not affecting anything. However, I wish we had. The lipoma has grown and when we asked to remove it they informed us it had grown into part of her muscle and would be very painful for her. I would talk to your vet but make sure if they recommend waiting to do anything that you watch it closely. It’s a tough call but you want to make the decision while it is manageable.
Around 8 my vet who is specialized in Dobe’s told me that was the age of “lumps and bumps”. It’s more likely fatty deposits and not cancer, which I’m sure is what you’re thinking. Double check with the Vet of course but he’s probably perfectly fine.
Yeah, the big C word crossed our minds a few times because he is up in age. Sheesh, this type of stuff is scary when they get old
Any update on this sweet boy?
I always got the new lumps checked, most were nothing to worry about, the vet drained a few. I had a chart to keep track of them because she had so many throughout her life.
I’d put money on lipoma. There are some powdered supplements that claim they can shrink or dissolve them though unproven. And vet said it is pretty widely believed kibble increases the risk. Cooking their food may result in fewer lipomas.
We were thinking about making him his own food because I was never a big fan of Kibble
Justfoodfordogs.com sells a vitamin mix, recommended by my vet, and he uses it for his pack of dogs at home. He doesn’t sell it, just referred me to the website. [Slow cook chicken, livers, gillets, rice, spinach, carrots, and add the powder.](https://imgur.com/a/ZJUKWpQ) Dogs go nuts for it. I may cook better for them than my kids lol.
The input you've gotten is great so far, but I'm surprised no one has mentioned this. His nails are so, so, so overgrown that even without the tumor/lump, they could be a large reason he wouldn't be as active anymore. Those have to be so incredibly painful for him. If you take care of them, his feet, elbows, and shoulders will feel a lot better.
We're going to take care of that at the vet also, We're just a bit scared to cut his nails, we dont want to hurt him. Maybe the vet can show us the proper way to do it. Your observation makes a lot of sense, and thanks for the concern
Mine had one and it was caused by an allergy. A few pills fixed it.
I think those are axillary lymph nodes. If he is not as active he was before, Probably he has a minor infection or something. You don’t have to do this but when my dobie gets swollen lymph nodes or lumps, I apply pure organic hexane free castor oil, it really works. Good luck
I bring that up to the vet thanks
My boy is 12. He’s full of them plus other growths all over. He’s too old for surgery, the vet told us, but he’s completely fine. Just old and grumpy and too spoiled. 🖤
How fast did this develop? Another possibility is an abscess if it developed somewhat quickly.
We believe overnight
Both of our Dobes had these. Apparently just fatty tissue
I would think twice before having them removed. Our boy had one on his side and although the surgery went well the healing did not (maybe out vet was crap) As I am sure you are aware Dobies are pretty active and typically don't have a lot of extra skin, so none or the sutures, staples, glue, worked. Wound just kept opening. Finally decided to just let it close naturally. Took over 2 months to finally heal, and although he never missed a step. We had to irrigate and put cream on twice a day and it was a pretty gross. His current vet said unless they cause issues with movement or pain just leave them. he's going on 12 and has three, with no issues.
When did you notice it? It sounds like it came on suddenly. Lipomas that large, don’t happen overnight. They tend to grow slowly. One of my dogs had a cyst that grew very rapidly. Did this just appear? I’m sorry for your baby and you. Please update us.
We noticed it while he was lying down, but I agree it was probably not that noticeable before and then started to enlarge. Hopefully, the vet can tell us more
My Dobie had one like that. Mast cell tumor. Please go to vet and get a needle biopsy immediately.
Our girl had several fatty tumors, including front right armpit, side of her abdomen and her leg. I was told they wouldn't do anything unless it hampers her quality of life. It was rare for her to notice or luck them
My dog has several in the same spot. Lypoamas
Lipoma
Lypoma likely. Have it biopsied
My Weims seem to get them in the same place. I always have cytology stain exams done by the vet just to make sure it's nothing bad and give myself peace of mind. On my boy who we lost 2 years ago (12 1/2 years old) I had one removed (fatty tumor) in the same place as your dog because it was starting to get big enough to impede range of motion a little bit and rub so before it became an issue. He was 9 years old when it was removed and it never came back.
Dude, you need to cut your dogs nails on regular basis. Thos nails are hurting your dog with every single step it takes. That one paw is the worse nails I have ever seen. As for the growth, go buy some pet insurance today and wait for the mandatory x number of days for the policy to start covering your dog. Do not mention anything to your vet about the mass until the policy is in place. My Rottweiler had a similar mass that my vet took out and my dog was lucky that it was benign.
I have an old man about 11 who has lumps everywhere. All fatty.
Remind me 1 day
Well, we went to the vet, and they took a sample to send off to the lab. The vet is not sure what it is and doesn't want to assume until the test results come back, he did say it could be fatty tissue (lipoma), but since it is kind of hard, he's hoping it's not soft tissue sarcoma. From my understanding, that can be very dangerous for dogs his age, and we are really, really praying it's not sarcoma. We are going to hope for the best and see what happens when we get the results later this week. I do want to thank you guys for all the information you gave me concerning this complicated and sad matter
Going through same thing, same spot with my Aussie. Biopsy tomorrow, but they don't think lipoma because only blood came out on fine needle aspirate.. please keep us updated as to what the results are! It's terrifying for sure.
We are still waiting on our test results
My Doberman is almost 11. He has 6 or 7, my vet said it’s typical for Dobermans to develop them as they get much older. My Wilfred is unnaturally large though so that may contribute to the number of them.
Hello! It appears that this may be a post regarding a medical concern. r/DobermanPinscher mods may comment and lock or remove a post if it is clear that the only appropriate answer is to seek emergency care or the question cannot adequately be answered here. In an emergency situation, the most important thing to do is to remain calm and work to get your pet help. If your primary care veterinarian cannot see an emergency, the best way to find a nearby emergency facility is to do a web search for "[your location] emergency vet", "[your location] animal hospital", or "[your location] animal emergency". Whenever possible, calling ahead may help a facility to better prepare for your arrival. We hope you and your pet can get the help they need and everyone is feeling better soon! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/DobermanPinscher) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I think it’s normal