Hi
My labrador is ten years old and has had a fatty growth on her neck for some time but my vet is not concerned about it. However, lately I think it has grown. She is restless, panting and drinking more? Any adive would be very welcome...

When was the last time a Vet saw her? I had a lab with a HUGE fatty growth on her side. It didn't bother her for quite some time and then one day it become a problem, pressing on her internal organs.

I think I'd see just where it's located and how "deep" it goes.

Good luck - let us know. My lab owned my heart. Great, great dog.

I'm a cat person so take this with a grain of salt -- but if this were one of my cats, I'd wonder if the growth was somehow encroaching on something inside her neck. Where is the growth, by the way?

And since the dog is getting old, I'd wonder if this is something entirely unrelated. Thirst can mean diabetes or a heart problem, among other things. My best cat ever who died two years ago was panting and fatigued and thirsty, and was diagnosed with congestive heart failure.

So you see, there are several possibilities that you should explore with the vet after he gives the dog a good checkup.

Time to see the vet again and have some blood drawn. Panting and drinking can be many things, none good, organ failure can show itself in this manner

Fatty lumps and bumps are pretty common on older dogs and often can cause no trouble.
If you have noticed it growing it would certainly pay to get it checked out by a vet again just to be sure but I wouldn't be hitting the panic button just yet.

The panting and drinking may be completely unrelated to the lump but still worth getting looked at in an aging dog.

Labs are a stoic breed... not much fazes them, as they are too 'into' doing things other than complaining. However, a 10 year old lab is going to have more aches and pains than when younger. Also, restless and panting may indicate a sign of shortness of breath, you know the feeling when you have to take a deep breath once in a while. It 'feels' like that would help, and this is what may also be going on with her.

Fatty tumors do grow with time, but in the neck, if it is on the back of her neck, there is little but strong muscle there. I would be surprised if this was causing her any problem, but having that checked while looking into other possibilities is well advised, too. Fatty tumors can and do occur anywhere, usually in older animals, and are benign. They are just that... fatty deposits. Why they choose to appear where they do is speculation. I wonder if it may not be due to a previous injury, like a bruise, that changed the nature of the fatty tissue which may have also been involved. Occasionally they appear deep in muscle tissue, as between individual muscles, and interfere with normal motion. When this happens, it is usually corrective to remove the offending tumor.

Drinking more may be due to her panting... it is drying her mouth more than normal nasal breathing. If this increase in water intake is also accompanied by an increase in urination, there are some other problems this MAY be indicative of.

Arthritic 'pain' usually manifests itself with having to move, not constantly, while at rest or trying to get so. Discomfort, from whatever... may not be painful, just discomforting... is frequently accompanied with restlessness. Any pain, even mild, often creates panting which is not related to any respiratory demands.

So, the diagnostic consensus in this case appears to be... you need to see your vet. He will let you know what is up, or will find out.