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 took my dog to vet had infection 2 days later had to take her back her stomach was blood under skin did ultrasound spline was enlarge stay in hosp.for 2 days have been doing bloodwork 1 week later had to have another ultrasound found a inch gash in liver Took her back Friday Liver enzymes is coming up but red blood cells is going back down has been on med.for 3 weeks now
[…] Lipoma and Liposarcoma in the Dog: Fatty Tumors – Dog Cancer Blog https://www.dogcancerblog.com/ you remove them and they will often regrow, since they are difficult to remove. You think you got 'em, …. It was removed, but the vet said it could grow back and that infiltrated lipoma is half way between benign and cancer. What diet and … […]
I have a 7 year old rottie we found a lum right next to his upper right leg it’s the sizes of half a ping pong ball it doesn’t move around what could it be
Lumps like this could be anything from a simple lump of fat to an indicator of a more serious condition. You did well to notice it, and the best thing to do is to make an appt with your vet to have it checked. Your vet may give you an opinion based on simply examining the lump, but if you want to be absolutely sure you can ask to have a biopsy of the mass. This can be done with a simple test where your vet will use a needle to withdraw some of the fluid inside the lump. The vet will then get a lab to look at it to tell you just what you’re dealing with. Your vet may prefer to take a portion of the lump out under sedation. If for any reason you can’t go to your vet yet, please take a photo of the lump with a coin next to it, and keep an eye on it. Take another photo in about a week, so you can track whether there are any changes. It is always better to get these checked early. It saves you worry and in case anything is trying to get established in your dog, catching it early is the best thing you can do. Good luck!!
[…] Lipoma and Liposarcoma in the Dog: Fatty Tumors – Dog Cancer Blog has one small fatty lump in groin area has also been aspirated no issue but I'll likely get it removed if it changes AT ALL soft or not! I am a prof. groomer & trainer attended tons of seminars on every topic to do with dogs including a mini-vet … […]
Hi Doc, I am fostering a rescue dog….(Wheaten Terrier mixed breed) Estimated age is between 2-5 years. In addition to cloudy eyes she has a number of small masses that the Vet said were probably benign. She was recently groomed/shaved and I noticed a large mass of skin dangeling from her tail just above her anus. She is constantly licking it. Overall, she seems healthy….but I am concerned with the location and size (walnut) of this mass. Looking forward to your feedback.
my dog has more than a dozen lumps actually closer to twenty now. he also has skin tags that have now filled with fluids and masses that have come up after injury,
but he has one that started the size of a pea probably golf ball size around christmas, tennis ball size when the vet stuck a needle in it a couple of months ago (results inconclusive but not what is expected from fatty lump) now it is not quite the size of a netball but still growing, it is on one side of his ribs I was gaging it’s growth in relation to a nipple, it has now growing over that area and the nipple is much bigger that it was we have decided not to operate as he is old and have so many lumps but just curious about what it could be, without putting him though a biopsy
Dear Chris,
I am sorry, I cannot make a diagnosis over the internet…even sometimes in the exam room (often) we have to get a biopsy or repeat the aspirate. I would suggest this as growing lumps are not good for dogs.
I hope this helps..
Dr D
Doctor,
My pit/lab has a hard lump under his jaw. He has no trouble eating, drinking or playing with toys. He is about 8 yrs old and very energetic. It doesn’t bother to touch it, push on it or manipulate his jaw. My vet told me when I had him in for his yearly last October, that as long as he wasn’t experiencing any pain or change in his behavior, to keep an eye on it and if it changed, to call him. Any idea what could be causing this.
Joan
Hi Joan,
there is no reason not to test a lump with a fine needle aspirate or biopsy to obtain a diagnosis. This is what is recommended at this time if your vet cannot diagnose the mass on a physical exam. The use of pain, etc has nothing to do with whether the mass may be harmful or cancerous. Sometimes dental X-rays or other tests might be necessary, but why monitor when you already have established that it is growing (since it was not there, and now is there, you know it has grown…). My two cents…Best,
Dr D
9 yo p. Welsh corgi spayed 3yrs ago tumor r. hock
hx of bladder stone surgery. my computer down at this time. hope to have it fixed with in one or two days.
live in Tucson AZ. no vet school. will out of state see my dog ?
Thank you,
Sincerely, M. C, Reichard
have lost two dogs and 1 cat to cancer in the last two + years
Deary Maryllen,
Gosh, so sorry to hear that. You are not alone as cancer is so common.
there is usually no problem with out of state treatment, in my experience.
Best
Dr D
Doctor,
ok .. here goes ..Biscuit, my 8 year old boxer/american bulldog mix has a huge belly .. my vet thought it was a weight problem, so I put him on a diet and he lost 10 pounds .. Now, he feels a hard round ball type size thing in his abdomen on the bottom part and he also found a round baseball size lump next to his trachea .. no fever, and my dogs acts normally but it’s like he is carrying flat bowling ball in his belly .. He sent out a biopsy from Biscuits neck and just said .. we can put him on pred to make him more comfortable if it comes back malignant .. I asked, can you operate and he said most likely not .. Is the prednisone worth using or is it just a catch all med? .. I’ve read about the benadryl and lutimax, etc .. just seems like my vet is depending only on the prednisone .. The results from the biopsy will be in in 3 days or so .. I am numb and so sad from this .. I just had to put my Beloved Boxer Jake to sleep in Dec, 2013 due to lung cancer .. the vet again only had him on prednisone .. This is just another nightmare way too soon .. Any thoughts? .. thank you ..
Dear Carol,
I am sorry to hear about your Biscuit.
The first thing is to determine the diagnosis: what the bumps are , and if they are indeed cancerous, then what type? Using prednisone by itself is a rather limited approach to dealing with dog cancer, and there may be other tools discussed in the second edition of the Guide that would be useful.
Here is a post to get you started:
https://www.dogcancerblog.com/blog/an-overview-of-what-else-can-i-do/
And remember, there is nothing wrong with a second opinion if you feel the need for it.
Best
Dr D
My 11 year old golden retriever still acts like a puppy….is very active, happy and in no pain. A few months ago, she had several fatty globs near several lymph nodes. They were soft and moved freely. Two weeks ago, one of them, in her groin area of her rear left leg, got very hard, firm, a bit larger and now is affixed vs. moving freely. It gives her no pain, she isn’t bothered when it’s touched and it doesn’t interfere with her movement. None of her habits have changed (eating, drinking, vomiting, pooping). I bought some natural remedy (K9 Critical Care pack) in hopes that it would reduce the size but no effect yet (after 5 days) so wondering what we could try/do. My husband does not want to subject her to surgery so I’m hoping there’s a homeopathic remedy, a medicine, or an injection the vet could give her. Thank you for any insights!
Dear Maria
Sorry to hear about your golden’s lumps. The short story is that you should get these lumps diagnosed by a veterinarian so you have a diagnosis.
Here is some information for you:
https://www.dogcancerblog.com/blog/does-my-dog-have-cancer-what-not-to-rely-on/
I hope this helps
Dr D