Dusty has a growth

I am a little nervous because my Dusty, who is only 6 months old (today), has a growth on the top of his head. It might just be a fatty tumor but I've never had one on a dog so young before.

We first noticed it about 2 weeks ago and it was much smaller than a pea. Now it has grown to the size of a large pea. He has a vet appointment today at 4:30 PM.

It is located on the top of his head directly in the middle of his skull. It's not attached and moves around when it's tounched so who knows.....

I will let you all know how it turns out!

Oh I am so sorry to hear that...now you have me all worried too :( I have not seen fatty tumors on dogs so young either, but I am sure you know that goldens and labs are nortorious for getting fatty tumors.

I will add your baby Dusty to my prayer list. May the appointment go well, and the news be only good.

Oh Dixie, I hope it's nothing serious, Dusty is pretty young to have something like that.
I'm glad you are taking him to the Vet right away, one never knows what it could be. Please let us know as soon as you have the time. We will be thinking positive thoughts until then. Hugs and kisses to Dusty.
Daisy, Perry and Me.

There's lots of non-dangerous things it could be, so we are keeping fingers and paws crossed for Dusty!

Dancer ~ Fingers and Paws all crossed at the Ranch.
Positive thoughts and Prayers being offered.
Give Dusty a {hugg} and a *smooch* for us.

Awwww, Dusty, I am sorry to hear that you have to go to the vet. Hope that growth turns out to be something simple. I know how you worry, Dixieland. I do too!

Linda of Tahnee Golden Retrievers had an even younger puppy recently with a huge lump on its head. They removed it surgically, and she is doing fine. That gives me hope for Dusty, as his doesn't sound nearly as large.

Let us know. We'll say a prayer for you both. :)

Poor baby Dusty :( I hope the bump is nothing serious. Carina, who has great experience in having fatty tumors removed (3), sends her best wishes and hopes the vet will have good news for you both. Give him many hugs from me.

Dixie,

Good luck with you appointment at the Vet. I hope it is not anything. You will be in my thoughts.

Please update us as soon as you get back from the Vet.

Oh Dixie, aren't these things just plain scary??? But, as a surgical nurse, I can tell you that usually, the larger they are, the faster they grow, the chance is greatest that it is a benign growth, such as a lipoma; fatty growth. Hope you are on your way home from the vet's office with good news. I'll keep you and sweet Dusty in my prayers and thoughts until we get the news that everything is OK. Such a young puppins to have go through this :( Please give a big hug and kiss to Dusty, OK? Love, Sandra

[ November 02, 2001: Message edited by: tatsxxx11 ]

Any news yet? I hope it is nothing serious. Killian is a lumpy dog, too. You are kind of young for the lumps to begin. So sorry. Hope you're ok. Please let us know!

Sometimes I get sooooo frustrated with vets! I still don't know what is growing on my baby's head! :confused:

We walked into the office and went back to the examing room. She felt the lump and said it felt solid but she wanted to see if their was fluid. She inserted a needle into it and then pronounced that it was solid, no fluid. I didn't need to stick a needle in to find that out!

Then she said she didn't know what it was but to keep and eye on it for a couple more weeks and if it appears to get bigger to call her back. IF it gets bigger she will surgically remove it to determine what it is.

I don't want Dusty to have surgery unnecessarily BUT... I'd think she should of been able to give me a little more info. It is growing rapidly already and I told her that.

I walked out of the office wondering why this office visit cost me money when they didn't do anything to help my baby boy??????

I know I am usually full of advice but I'm drawing a blank on what my next step should be. If he was your baby what would you guys do? Should I be worried or just wait to see if it grows any bigger? :confused:

Dancer ~ Sorry you didn't get a very satisfying answer today :(.

Is this your regular Vet? How long have you and the FurKids been seeing her?
Do you have faith in her?
How about another Vet in the same Practice? Did she consult with anyone else?

You COULD ask for her to suggest another Vet for a second opinion... Or talk to other owners near you to find another nearby Vet who folks seem to like.

think it over; but I don't like the idea of waiting a "couple of weeks" to see what happens...

We'll continue with the Crossed Pawz and Prayers ;).

I have been going to this vet clinic for years. The two primary doctors are great and I trust them explicitly. However, their practice has been growing and they have another vet who is working for them. For the past couple years it was a really great vet but she got married recently and moved away to be with her new husband. I really hated to see her go. :(

This is the first time I have had the newest vet and I'm not to overly thrilled. I will probably call the vets office and ask to speak to the main doctors for a second opinion.

It may be nothing to worry about but then again it may be something you don't want to fool with. Thankfully, it doesn't seem to be bothering him.

Your vet visit sounds a lot like the visit I had with my doctor yesterday, but I won't go into that, other than to say, I know how frustrating it is!!!! Grrrrrrr

Please keep us up on what transpires. Fortunately most of these lumps and bumps are benign.

I'm so sorry that Dusty has to go thru
this at such a tender age.Sounds like the new
Vet. just gave the 'standard advice',the wait
and see approach..
A second opinion by one of the other Vets
at the Clinic would probably help ease your
mind about the lump, and would not reflect
badly on the first Vet.
Will say prayers and hold Good Positive
thoughs for You & Dusty !!!

Dixie - definately a second opinion is in order here and also you need to insist that something be done immediately to ease your mind. I can't understand why the vet wanted to wait until it gets bigger - that sounds dangerous to me - after all - it's there. I would insist they find out immediately what it is and remove it period!!

I'd say to get another vet to look at Dusty. Daisy has a growth on her neck that I freaked out over, and it sounds just like Dusty's. We got her checked out and they said it was just a fatty cyst and unless it gets bigger or attaches to something, we can just leave it. You can read the posts there... it's under "Bump!?" under Dog Health. Good luck!! I know it's scary.

Dixie, I'm so sorry little Dusty has to go through this! And at such a tender age :( Were I in your place, feeling such frustration and anxiety, I would definitely seek out another opinion. We will be keeping our paws crossed, with Dusty in our prayers, that this is something easily treated. Love and hugs to the little one! :)

I don't know why they didn't do a needle biopsy. That's what they did on both Payton and Bourbon. Payton's came back a fatty tumor and Bourbon's, well, his came back inconclusive, so we went surgery biopsy and found out the bad news. It only takes a few days to get the results back from this. I definitely would not wait. And call the main vets; I had breaking in a new vet. Good luck.

Dixie, how is Dusty doing now?
Jackie

I contacted the regular vet and was told that the new vet had given her an update that she thought it was a hair folicle that had gone crazy. There is a technical name for it but I forget what she said now. Anyway, with this diagnosis she also wants to see if it gets bigger in the next few days. I am to contact them again next week and let them know.

The actually growth seems to have stopped growing and is the same size as last week. I'm still not happy but supposedly this is "common". I never heard of it before. Any of you?

No - I've never heard of this, but on the other hand I don't know much about dogs either. I just know I'd still want to know definately what it is and get it removed. I agree with Pepper - needle biopsy - such a simple thing for some peace of mind!

Dixie, I have never heard of that before either. Give Dusty a hug and kiss from all of us, don't really know what to tell you, not sure what I would do.
Jackie

Sounds like she thinks it is a sebaceous cyst. I had one of these and my doctor said that "we don't remove these unless they get infected." I had it for several years and it really bothered me, evidentually it did get infected and then it hurt like crazy. After that happened twice I had it removed by a dermatologist. In all fairness I guess these are quite common and don't bother most people.

[ November 07, 2001: Message edited by: RachelJ ]

Is there a way for the vet to take
a little bit of tissue and do a
biopsey?
I will keep my fingers crossed that
Dusty will be fine.
It is just so frustrating not to
know for sure, but it is good news
that the growth is not getting bigger.
Good thoughts for Dusty.

The growth on Dusty's head is getting bigger again. Actually I am insisting that they do a needle biopsy on it. We have a vet appointment (with the regular vet) next week. That's as soon as they could get us in. :(

I am keeping my fingers crossed for Dusty, and Daisy is having a little trouble walking with her paws crossed but it's worth it for her bud Dusty! Let us know what happens.

Good luck, good luck!