Need some reassurance....got it! Post #10

[Taz_Zoee]

I found a lump on Zoee's shoulder this weekend. My mom and I felt it and it was soft and movable. I just showed Bruce and it is harder now but still movable. I will be making an appointment tomorrow for the vet.
Someone please tell me it's nothing and/or not to get upset..........yet.

[Moesha]

Morgan has a round movable lump between his shoulders. The vet wasn't concerned because it wasn't attached to anything. He did drain it the first time I noticed it. Today when I took him in, I had him drain it again. It comes back after just draining it, but I don't want to put him through surgery to remove it completely since it isn't doing damage.

[K9soul]

Try not to panic, it very well could be something like a sebaceous cyst. Tommy has a couple of them, one on his hip area and he used to have a smaller one on his neck area that seems gone now. My RB collie, Cody, had a LARGE one in his shoulderblade area that eventually drained on its own.

There is a bit more about them here: http://www.petplace.com/dogs/sebaceo...ogs/page1.aspx

A sebaceous cyst is a small sac containing an accumulation of secretions produced by the sebaceous glands. Sebaceous cysts are also known as epidermoid cysts, epidermal inclusion cysts, epidermal cysts, and wens.

The sebaceous glands produce an oily substance called sebum, which lubricates the skin. The ducts of the sebaceous glands empty into hair follicles. The development of sebaceous cysts is thought to arise from an obstruction of the follicles, leading to abnormal accumulations of sebum.

Sebaceous cysts are common in dogs. There are no breed, age or sex predilections with respect to formation of the cysts. There is no significant impact on your pet, as these are benign, non-painful growths.

If it's hardened some like you described, that would be my first suspicion. A sebaceous cyst can actually get pretty hard.

The other really common benign lump is a lipoma. They are generally softer but are basically a fatty deposit under the skin. Hopefully it'll just be one of these things and nothing need be done except keep an eye on it.

[pomtzu]

I was pretty upset when I found a lump on Sparky too. His vet did a needle aspiration and it was nothing more than a fatty growth, so no surgery was needed.

Positive vibes being sent to Zoee. Try not to worry - not too much anyway.

[Karen]

Probably nothin' - get it checked, of course, just to be sure. At least Zoee has enough coat so most people won't see it if it's just a wen (fatty tumor), our Great Dane, Gracie, had one on her side about the size of half a grape, but with that sleek Dane coat, even strangers would ask about it.

[moosmom]

Sounds like it could be fatty tissue, possibly from vaccinations. I hope everything turns out okay.

[Taz_Zoee]

Thank you all.
You know, Donna may be on to something. I did take them in on the 19th for shots. I can't remember exactly where the shots where given though. She got her rabies and distemper shots. Then the nasal bordetella.
Well, I hope it is nothing to worry about because I can't take her to the vet until next week. I get paid this Friday and Bruce is expecting to get paid next week as well. So for this week I will just keep checking it and if it seems to grow larger rapidly I will definitely get her in ASAP.
It doesn't cause her any discomfort even when we poke around at it. So that helps me not worry as much too.

Thanks again everyone. I knew I could count on my PT family to help me calm down.

[moosmom]

What are PT friends for???

Good luck, honey.

[K9soul]

Thank you all.
You know, Donna may be on to something. I did take them in on the 19th for shots. I can't remember exactly where the shots where given though. She got her rabies and distemper shots. Then the nasal bordetella.

If she got shots in her shoulder area that definitely could explain it. Raven got a lump in her hip after her rabies shot last year. I got alarmed too but when I took her in, the vet explained it happens sometimes if they are really tense when they get the shot. It actually took a couple weeks to fade. It is alarming. Raven's had kind of a knotty feeling to it. My vet didn't charge me to look at it, considered it a followup check since it had to do with the shot. Hopefully you will have a similar experience.

[Taz_Zoee]

I just called the vet to see if they could tell me where they usually give the shots. Well that's something they actually write down in the file. And her rabies shot was given in her right shoulder. So that's more than likely what it is. She made a note in the file that she has a lump there. If it doesn't go down in a couple weeks or appears to get worse in any way I will take her in to have it checked.

Whew! I can relax.

[caseysmom]

Sorry I am chiming in so late...I am sure it is nothing, relax.

BTW, I have had something like that in my jaw since I was 12