[susubeagle]

My dog has a squishy fatty kind of lump on her abdomen which she does not seem to care if I touch or squeeze it, but she has another smaller, harder lump under her right front leg that she does not like me inspecting. She also has a hard small pea size lump under her left ear, neck area that has been there for years and not bothered her. She has allergies to something whereby she gets bouts of excema on her body as small round sores. I thought the swollen gland from under her neck was probably from infection due to allergy. My Beagle is coming up to 15 years in a month or so and she is a delightful and gorgeous dog. She has been my "Best Beagle" to quote Snoopy from Peanuts and she does not seem to be in any pain that I can see. She is overweight now that she has slowed down but is enthusiastic with life every day. I will take her to our vet in the next few days but I have to question: if it turns out to be cancerous, what options are there for an old (happy) dog? Surgery could kill her as she is really getting on and she does not complain of any pain or suffering. She sits on the couch most days and barks at strangers going by (as she has done for ever!). I would not want to put her under for surgery and she would much prefer to NOT go to the vet ever as she freaks out at that. Can't she just stay at home until she tells me she is in pain or had enough? I'm not avoiding a vet bill, I have had many good dogs in the past have surgery and not pulled through.

[joypulv]

Big squishy growths are common in old dogs and generally benign. Of course the vet will know; just trying to keep you from worrying. If a possibly cancerous lump needs biopsy or removal on the spot, I'd bet it would be a smaller one.
Some vets will remove the big squishy ones just to appease owners.

[shazamataz]

Older dogs are prone to lumps and bumps, some can be just benign tumors that grow, others cysts and some can just be balls of fat.

Some cysts can just disappear themselves over time, others will need draining, but often that does not require any sedation.

If it is cancer I guess you have to weigh up quality of life. At 15 your girl has had a long life. If she still seems happy and the vet says that the cancer is slow growing then if it were me I would be inclined to just manage it with medication until it gets to a point where the dog can't cope any more.
If it is aggressive or painful then I would look into the surgery but you have to be prepared that she may not make it through.

It's a very hard decision to make either way and I really hope for both your sakes it is not cancer but just one of the "old dog" lumps.

EDIT - I wasn't going to add this but for such an old dog I will.
It's not a surefire way to tell but if you get a syringe and stick it into the lump and draw back on the plunger, a cyst with make the syringe fill up with pus or blood. A tumor is hard and nothing will be drawn back.
It still does not tell you if the tumor is benign or not but it will tell you if it is a cyst or not.

[Aurora_Bell]

Jeeze, these are the hardest questions to answer. Everything we tell you is based on opinion. At 15 I would be happy with the time you guys have left. If your dog is in visible pain I would talk to my vet about pain management options. At 15, the surgery alone could kill her. It's literally like being stuck between a rock and a hard place. My heart goes out to you!

I whole heartily agree with Shazamataz here, at her age, her lumps and bumps could be nothing, but on that other hand, there is the chance of cancer. It's your decision and yours alone. At this time in her life any choice you make is the right one. As long as she is not suffering she is happy.

[susubeagle]

Thank you all for your thoughts and answers. I too, think that they could be benign just as likely as they could be malignant. I will get her checked out but I do not want to upset her with surgery, I am inclined to opt for pain meds if it comes to it and keep a watchful eye. She follows me everywhere and sleeps on the bed so that is not so difficult, most times someone in the family is at home. I do appreciate the feedback and advice.

[susubeagle]

Just to follow up on my earlier posts. My Beagle is doing fine still, now at 15 years, 6 months and counting! The fatty lumps - vet said - are probably just that, and she doesn't seem in any pain. Had x-rays and she has enlarged heart and that's why she was heavy breathing and wobbly at times - she's on medication for that forever now and has spring in her step and lost weight even. I made it clear I was not opting for any surgery and they agreed that she may even live another 1 - 2 years! (You can do a battery of tests for naught!)Every day is a gift anyhow - what a darling dog she is.

[shazamataz]

Thank you for coming back to update us and I'm glad she is doing well!

Do you have any photos of the old girl you could share?

[Aurora_Bell]

Yes, thank you so much for the update! I a glad to hear she is doing better. I agree again wuth Shazzy, we love pics :D!