Lipoma and Liposarcoma in the Dog: Fatty Tumors
Dr. Demian Dressler is internationally recognized as “the dog cancer vet” because of his innovations in the field of dog cancer management, and the popularity of his blog here at Dog Cancer Blog. The owner of South Shore Veterinary Care, a full-service veterinary hospital in Maui, Hawaii, Dr. Dressler studied Animal Physiology and received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of California at Davis before earning his Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from Cornell University. After practicing at Killewald Animal Hospital in Amherst, New York, he returned to his home state, Hawaii, to practice at the East Honolulu Pet Hospital before heading home to Maui to open his own hospital. Dr. Dressler consults both dog lovers and veterinary professionals, and is sought after as a speaker on topics ranging from the links between lifestyle choices and disease, nutrition and cancer, and animal ethics. His television appearances include “Ask the Vet” segments on local news programs. He is the author of The Dog Cancer Survival Guide: Full Spectrum Treatments to Optimize Your Dog’s Life Quality and Longevity. He is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, the Hawaii Veterinary Medical Association, the American Association of Avian Veterinarians, the National Animal Supplement Council and CORE (Comparative Orthopedic Research Evaluation). He is also an advisory board member for Pacific Primate Sanctuary.
Updated: May 15th, 2024
Summary
Is that soft squishy lump on your dog something to worry about? It depends.
Many times dog lovers will arrive in my hospital and point out that their canine companion has a bump. They are soft, kind of like very firm jello. “Doesn’t seem to be causing any pain,” they say.
Hmmm. Well, it could be a “fatty” tumor. This is simply a tumor made out of fat. Yes, a big glob of fat, the same stuff that makes us chubby.
Some clients have used natural means to help their dogs with these tumors. I have had my clients say they have had luck with curcumin given by mouth. Curcumin is a part of the spice turmeric. In The Dog Cancer Survival Guide, I wrote about this bioflavonoid. It can be purchased as an ingredient in Apocaps, and also by itself as a sole agent.
Many dog lovers have heard of fatty tumors, and have been told by their vets that there is nothing to worry about. And many times, they are right.
Not every time, though.
Some Fatty Tumors Are Cancers
Here’s why: first of all, not every soft tumor is a “fatty” tumor. Remember mast cell tumors, the Great Imitators? Some mast cell tumors are aggressive, life-threatening cancers. And they can feel just like a benign fatty tumor.
Your vet can differentiate between a fatty tumor and a mast cell tumor with a simple fine needle aspirate. This is an easy outpatient procedure where the vet takes a sample with a needle and sends it to a pathologist. Many of us will review the slide right in house.
Another soft gushy tumor, especially on the limbs, in called a hemangiopericytoma. This is an unfriendly tumor, folks.
Because two dangerous tumors can look like fatty tumors (lipomas) I recommend that all such tumors get aspirated.
Some Fatty Tumors Are Dangerous In Other Ways
Secondly, not every tumor made out of fat is truly benign. Most are, and they are called lipomas. However, a small portion of them grow aggressively. They invade surrounding tissue. They often grow fairly quickly, over months, and expand. These fast growing lipomas have crossed the line and become what are called liposarcomas.
Get the Dog Cancer Survival Guide to learn more on how veterinarians diagnose and stage cancer in Chapter 9
The reason it matters is that they can become quite large. And you remove them and they will often regrow, since they are difficult to remove. You think you got ’em, and they come back.
Liposarcomas are not good news. So again, if you have a rapidly growing, fatty tumor, get it out. You might be dealing with a liposarcoma, and they can be tough. Have the vet biopsy the edge, and make sure they include adjacent muscle, or the path folks may complain they don’t have enough data to make a call.
Best to all,
Dr Dressler
Dr. Demian Dressler is internationally recognized as “the dog cancer vet” because of his innovations in the field of dog cancer management, and the popularity of his blog here at Dog Cancer Blog. The owner of South Shore Veterinary Care, a full-service veterinary hospital in Maui, Hawaii, Dr. Dressler studied Animal Physiology and received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of California at Davis before earning his Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from Cornell University. After practicing at Killewald Animal Hospital in Amherst, New York, he returned to his home state, Hawaii, to practice at the East Honolulu Pet Hospital before heading home to Maui to open his own hospital. Dr. Dressler consults both dog lovers and veterinary professionals, and is sought after as a speaker on topics ranging from the links between lifestyle choices and disease, nutrition and cancer, and animal ethics. His television appearances include “Ask the Vet” segments on local news programs. He is the author of The Dog Cancer Survival Guide: Full Spectrum Treatments to Optimize Your Dog’s Life Quality and Longevity. He is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, the Hawaii Veterinary Medical Association, the American Association of Avian Veterinarians, the National Animal Supplement Council and CORE (Comparative Orthopedic Research Evaluation). He is also an advisory board member for Pacific Primate Sanctuary.
I know there are no recent posts on this thread but information is very lacking on this subject, and then I fell onto this site.
I have a 7 year old Jack Russel, female and a loyal member of the family. As I am a Bowel Cancer survivor I have an empathy with her.
A lump was noticed on the right of her anus and we told the Vet straight away. She said it was nothing and we should watch it and see what happens. 4 months later it is like a Grapefruit and the s**t hits the fan, and there are the needle aspirations et and talk of a lot of things that I dont understand..
I became quite fearful when the conversation was then;
“I cant see what is what there so give me £75 and I will send it to the Lab. If they cant see anything it will be £250 for biopsies and see what that shows. If you want it removing it will cost thousands and she will probably not recover as there are her organs to think of and blood vessels etc, and it is close to the Vulva as well”
No 1 Son is then talking about what dog he would like next and husband is saying it is a lot of money to gamble with and discussing breeds so I left the room in tears, remembering how my GP destroyed my stool sample that showed visible blood in it and refused treatment or testing as she clearly didnt think I was worth the cost of tests, only for me to visit friends in Europe who arranged a Colonoscopy and I paid for it privately, (thank God,) as thats when the Cancer was found and removed.
(Bit too close to home for me as I have just had a second removal)
I am so glad I came on here as at least I have a bit of hope now and will raise the money myserlf to give her a chance and see how it pans out.
It seems at least an idea to run with it and find out the Diagnosis rather that someone guessing and saying “Dont go there as it will cost a lot of money and it could be all for nothing”.
It is MY family member and I care even if the Vet doesnt.
What upsets me is she advised against it because of the cost, but I got Saffy at the same time as I got Ruby, the Westie, both 6 weeks old, so I know Ruby would pine her heart out if we lose Saffy. I will run with it as far as I can now I have read all these posts and hope for the best.
Thank you for letting me drop by friends, and nearly a year on, I do hope you have been on the lucky side of care as far as your pets are concerned and were able to save them.
Many thanks,
Babs xx
Hey doc, I’m only 15 and my two Rhodesian ridgeback mixes are almost 7 years old, I have recently discovered on the male dog (they are brother and sister rescues) he has a lump in the bottom of his neck near the back by his shoulders (he’s 135 lbs) it’s about the size of a golf ball maybe allitle bigger and I can hold it in my hand and move it around. It doesn’t seem to hurt him but I am scared for his health. My female dog (80 lbs) also has one except its about half the size but in the same spot and everything please help!
Dear Hunter, although I can’t diagnose over the internet, these dogs are prone to an anomaly called a dermoid sinus which you can read about online. It might be other things though. Get it checked by the vet as treatment might be needed!
Best
Dr D
My dog was just diagnosed a month ago with Liposarcoma It was found in the back of his tongue and was not visable without an x-ray It was the size of a golf ball Which was massive for a 5 lbs dog Skeeter will be 8 in April While doing the x-rays they also found a bladder stone He is now eating a dog food called SD Canine Disolution Our vet told me that it was a very rare type of cancer I was wondering what you may know about it and what the outcome may be for our Skeeter
Thank You
Grace
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Hi Dr.
I recently adopted a one year old Shepherd/Lab mix for a shelter this past March. I was petting her sides when I felt tiny lumps on either side of her! I noticed that some of them I am able to grip, but just today I found two more! She’s turning two in January, are these fatty-tumors?
Thanks,
Stephanie
My 14 year old female chow/retriever mix has been getting soft, golf ball to tennis ball sized lumps that usually appear aound her abdomen or neck area. They come and go. Right now she has a tennis ball sized one on her left side. I expect it to be there about three weeks then it will disappear. A week later another will pop up somewhere else. They don’t seem to bother her, but I get worried because this has been going on for about 3 years. Unfortunately, this all started happening when our family underwent financial devestation due to unavoidable circumstances. We still have not been able to get back to financial stability. I want the best for my dog and just wanted advice on what these roaming tumors could be. Any thoughts on what my next step should be? If she has to go to a vet, I will most likely need to find her a new family with the financial means to do so. We’ve had her since she was 6 months old and are unsure of what is best for her :(.
How much would a fine needle aspirate usually cost?
Good evening. My 8 year old male Yellow Labrador has several lumps in different areas on his body. Some are soft, some are harder. But one in particular has grown slowly over the past 3 or 4 years to the size of a baseball. It’s on his right side in front of his upper thigh. It has always been soft and the vet said it’s nothing to worry about, it’s a lipoma. Recently is has become hard, and I want to know if this happens when a lipoma becomes cancerous? I’m sure you’re going to tell me to have it checked, and I will, but in your expert opinion, when a lipoma turns hard after being soft for so long, does it usually signal some sort of cancer growth? Please be frank. I can handle whatever you might want to tell me. Thank you in advance.
My Pitbull is about 10 years old. He has been having trouble with his back right leg. A couple of days ago my sister had noticed a softball sized lump on the side of his rib-cage(left side). We had seen it before but we thought it was his rib poking out because he was using that side more than the other becuase of his leg. He doesn’t seem to be in any pain but he seems to wine at night time when he is lying down. We are low on money and don’t know what to do. Should we just watch it and see if it gets any better?
Perhaps these will be of use for you, Bay:
https://www.dogcancerblog.com/blog/the-cost-of-my-dogs-life-part-1/
https://www.dogcancerblog.com/blog/the-cost-of-my-dogs-life-part-2/
Finally,
Best Dr D
My 11 yr old Standard Poodle has several, little lipomas all over. He got on on the outside of his right, front leg, and it it larger than the rest. It has not been tested, assuming it’s another lipoma. It seems to have now burst inside the skin and is smaller now. This morning I noticed lymph nodes near his mandible, his shoulders and groin are all swollen. He’s going to see the vet in two days to get it all checked out. I just want to know if a lipoma leaks inside of his body, would that cause an infection triggering lymph node activity? He has zero symptoms like diminished appetite, vomiting, or anything. He’s hopping around and being totally normal. His stool is perfect also. I’m just so confused.
Dana,
Obviously a physical exam by your vet is the next step, as is sounds like your dog’s lymph nodes are enlarged. And I would recommend aspirates. It is unlikely this is related to benign lipomas. Good luck.
All my best, Dr Sue
Hi Doctor,
My cocker Spaniel was found to have mammary masses (about 12) throughout her breast and stomach area. The vet would like to do surgery but I’m concerned they will just grow back and honestly want to give her the best quality of life; just make her as comfortable as possible for the time she has. She is 8 years old. What should I do? They say they can not “confirm” it to be breast cancer without surgery. She is very lethargic, is she in pain? Also, I know this is an impossible question, but how long do you estimate we will have her with us?
Hi,
My 12 year old Aussie had a fluid filled cyst on the point of his hip. Decided to get it drained because it seemed to be bothering him. The vet put in a drain. While putting in the drain, the Vet excised several (at least 10) “tumors” that were floating around in the cyst. The vet said that he had never seen anything like it. In looking at pictures on the internet, these masses look like pictures of Lipoma’s.
Is this possible ? Have you ever seen this ?
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks
Kim