Doggie medical questions: - Democratic Underground

XemaSab

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Thu Oct-20-05 03:23 PM
Original message

Doggie medical questions:

Edited on Thu Oct-20-05 03:25 PM by XemaSab

My dog has soft bumps on her underside that seem to be growing. We took her to the vet and the vet took a biopsy and said not to worry about it. What are they? Does anyone have experience with this in dogs?

Also, has anyone ever been to a holistic vet? What was your experience?

edit: "snad" is not a word. :(

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Richardo

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Thu Oct-20-05 03:26 PM
Response to Original message

1. Could be lipomas

Sounds bad, but just little packets of fat under the skin. Feel smooth.

What's an 'holistic' vet? I would not trust my pets to anyone without a DVM.

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XemaSab

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Thu Oct-20-05 03:32 PM
Response to Reply #1

3. I think that's what the vet said they were

They're soft and the vet said that they probably wouldn't grow since the dog's on thyroid, but they've been growing seemingly by the week.

The holistic vet is a DVM, but I think more focused on things like diet than on giving the dog drugs. But I'm asking if anyone has experience with complimentary medicine for animals.

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philosophie_en_rose

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Thu Oct-20-05 03:33 PM
Response to Reply #1

4. Putting on my *Flame Retardant Suit*

Holistic Vets are usually regular people that prescribe garlic and herbs to cure medical conditions, based on hearsay and assumptions without science.

:bounce:

I don't mean to say that all non-chemical medicine is fraudulent, only that there is a lot of fraud that has the potential to hurt your dog or waste your time. Dogs don't get the placebo affect.

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XemaSab

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Thu Oct-20-05 04:00 PM
Response to Reply #4

6. Thanks for your input!

Ordinarily I'd be more skeptical, but we've got 2 animals that the regular vet doesn't seem to be helping. I'm less worried about the dog than the cat, frankly, but I fear that the cat needs to have all her teeth pulled. :( I'm hoping to avoid that scenario.

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philosophie_en_rose

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Thu Oct-20-05 03:27 PM
Response to Original message

2. I'd get a second opinion.

I'm probably paranoid, but those bumps might be painful even if they aren't cancer.

If those bumps are swollen lymph nodes, your dog might need medication.

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XemaSab

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Thu Oct-20-05 03:34 PM
Response to Reply #2

5. They don't seem to be painful.

There's one on her chest and one on the edge of her ribcage, and she lets us touch them without acting hurt at all.

But yeah, we're thinking we want a second opinion. :(

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TX-RAT

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Thu Oct-20-05 04:22 PM
Response to Reply #5

8. Fatty tumors, spanials get them, all the time

what kinda dog ya got

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XemaSab

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Thu Oct-20-05 04:32 PM
Response to Reply #8

9. Lab/queensland mix

I feel reassured through the postings on this thread.

Thank you. :)

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henslee

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Thu Oct-20-05 04:22 PM
Response to Original message

7. They sound like "fatty cists". If so, no real need to worry

No need to get rid of them unless they grow very large and get infected through rubbing.

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XemaSab

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Thu Oct-20-05 04:35 PM
Response to Reply #7

10. That happened to our old dog

She had a tumor that got infected and we had to put her down. :(

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Orsino

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Thu Oct-20-05 07:06 PM
Response to Reply #7

15. Yep. One of my older dogs just got one.

One of the best vets in town said that hers is nothing to worry about unless it grows suddenly, or gets irritated.

But always have a vet check 'em out. There are nastier things that look and feel the same.

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China_cat

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Thu Oct-20-05 05:10 PM
Response to Original message

11. She's female? Is she spayed?

Was she spayed before her first heat?

Mammary tumors are very common in female dogs. They are even more common (and cancerous) in female dogs who are intact or who were not spayed until after one or more heat cycles.

It's not something to try to treat with spurious herbs.

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Critters2

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Thu Oct-20-05 05:24 PM
Response to Reply #11

12. I agree

If your vet said they're nothing to worry about, they're probably lipomas, or "Fatty tunors". My first dog, Lucie, had several on her back that never seemed to do any harm. My second dog, Spartacus, whom i adopted when he was 10, had a large one on his chest when I got him. It never grew, and he never got more. They seem to just be something that happens with age.

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XemaSab

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Thu Oct-20-05 05:36 PM
Response to Reply #11

13. She's female and spayed

The bumps aren't under her nipples, but nearer the midline.

The vet biopsied them and said not to worry, but it's hard not to, ya know?

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China_cat

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Thu Oct-20-05 06:30 PM
Response to Reply #13

14. Yes I do

especially after having heard the same thing and having the dog die from cancer. And no, mammary tumors do not have to be right under the nipple. They can be in any part of the mammary tissue.

I hope your vet is right. I really do. We've also had lipomas removed from another 2 dogs with no problems at all. And then we've had the ones that were misdiagnosed.

Expensive as they are, second opinions are your friend.

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