Over the past few months my 14 year old German Shepherd has developed a dark colored lump about the size of a walnut or aprox. 2 inches in diameter on the outside of his hind leg. It feels a little firm to be fluid filled. It does not seem to be causing pain or discomfort, however it has become slightly red due to licking the area. Any suggestions for home remedy?

My elderly Walker hound has these too, my Schnauzer had them. They are fatty deposits and cannot be removed due to being filled with blood veseels. No, they don't go away and cause no harm to your dog. All you can do is try and stop him from licking.

Tick

You will not know for sure what it is 100% until a doctor does a fine needle aspirate of it to see what it is. Sometimes that won't even be enough, and often removal is the only way to diagnose it, as it gets send off to histopathology.
It could be anything, really. From a lipoma (fat lump), to a histiocytoma, to a cyst, to a mast cell tumour.

As far as a home remedy goes, as tickle said just ensure your dog isn't licking, and monitor the size of it.

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Originally Posted by Sariss

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As far as a home remedy goes, as tickle said just ensure your dog isn't licking, and monitor the size of it.

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They do get quite large. In my elderly Schnauzers case, she was a standard size, at l5 the vet said basically that if it was a much younger dog then biopsies, surgery, etc. would be appropriate, but seeing as she was quite elderly it was a good idea not to bother her unnecessarily and the lump was not bothering her. Same with my Taffy, she is quite elderly with one these, I will call them 'sacks', and there is no way I will put her through anything as long as she is having a good quality of life, enjoying her time with me, eating well, and generally doing just about everything she has ever done, only in diminishing amounts.

In the case of elderly dogs, one has to know their pet well and weigh all the options. I will never see her suffer as she probably would having gone through any kind of corrective, or exploratory surgery.

Tick

Yeah get it checked to make sure it isn't cancer but most older dogs do get that.

Omega fatty acid and hylaronic acid is good for older dogs that have a hard time walking.

You didn't mention that but likely he will get to that point eventually.

Only a Vet knows what it is - I've had dogs with lumps that ended up to be cysts, fatty deposits and, infortunately, cancer.

I am not medically trained and all of them felt exactly the same to me.

Get it checked.