Bumps and lumps

So the lump was really a malignant growth?

Second opinions really do matter. Better sure than sorry.

Sassy had one of both sides of her neck. I was told by the vet I was taking her to, there is a way to figure out if the lumps are cancerous or not. If you can grab the lump and move it around, it isn't cancerous. He said the cancerous lumps literally have 'roots' and will not move. If you try to move them, it will take some strength and will cause the dog discomfort. I'm not sure if this is 100% correct, but I trusted my vet, and they never bothered her, so I left them alone. My mother's pitbull ended up dying of a large cancerous mass they operated once, and it came back, but worse), and after seeing her lump vs. my beagles lumps, there is a difference, so he might be right.

Oh believe me, I learned this the hard way, not with a beagle but another dog. The vet kept saying it wasn't risky, that it was fatty tissue etc. Well, my dog almost died from that; he needed rush surgery. That was another story altogether. Get those lumps and bumps checked not once, but twice, by different vets, I don't care how much you trust them.

Any lump needs to be evaluated. It should be aspirated and the fluid analyzed. This is the only way to tell what it truly is. In the defense of the Vet-those soft lumps are "usually" fatty tumors. But-----I would always push for a more clear diagnosis, one with diagnostics beyond just feeling the lump.

For me, there is no defense. When they know they are the front line and we are asking them, they should be giving full disclosure.

Don't get me wrong there, it is just another point of view. I for one, push for a diagnosis. I want the diagnostics done, to be sure.