Golden retriever’s owner worried about lump on leg

QUESTION: When I brushed my dog, I found a lump on his leg.

He is an eight-year-old golden retriever. I am very worried about the lump, does that mean he might have cancer?

I know that not all lumps are necessarily dangerous but I have a bad feeling about this one because it is very hard. Is there any sign that will tell me if this is cancer? — Jackie, Kelowna

ANSWER: The only accurate method to diagnose the nature of the lump is by sampling the tissue and examining it under the microscope.

On the microscopic exam, the doctor can recognize what kind of cells are involved and can look for signs for characterizing the mass as malignant or benign.

There are two common methods to check the mass’s nature. The simpler one is called Fine Needle Aspiration (FNA).

This method is done very easily by poking the mass with a needle and spreading the content from the needle on a microscope slide.

Despite its advantage of being a very simple test to perform, this particular test can not guarantee a reliable result.

A much more accurate result is achieved by obtaining a true sample of the mass’s tissue, by surgically cutting the mass or at least a piece of full thickness of the mass and sending it to be checked by a specialist pathologist.

You are right that some benign masses, most commonly lipomas — a fatty tissue benign tumors, tend to be soft.

However, I never diagnose the nature of the mass without sampling the mass’s cells.

Furthermore, hard consistency of the mass does not necessarily mean malignancy.

Some benign masses also have hard consistency and vice versa.

Unfortunately, there is no way around it, in order to find out the true nature of your dog’s lump, you have to take him to see your vet.

At this point, until proven otherwise I would stay optimistic and hope that the treatment will be quick and easy.

Question: I think that my puppy is sick. He is three months old and normally very energetic and playful. Now, he doesn’t want to eat and he is lethargic. It’s been going on for two days and now I think that he also has fever. My mom doesn’t want to take him to the vet, she thinks it’s just a cold.

Can I just give him Tylenol for the fever? Do I need to use baby Tylenol?

— Eva, West Kelowna Answer: I am sorry to hear about your puppy. Do not ever give a pet human Tylenol, or any similar drug. This group of medications (Non Steroidal Anti Inflammatories) is toxic to pets.

The fever itself is not the dog’s problem, but a sign of the underlying disease.

I am concerned about your dog. You mentioned that he is three months old.

At this age, he can not be fully vaccinated, so the symptoms you mentioned — loss of appetite, lethargy and fever may suggest a serious disease.

Early detection and treatment of the puppies diseases such as Parvo is crucial for the positive outcome.

I hope that the condition your puppy suffers from, will be found to be not serious, but I suggest you not to wait and immediately seek veterinary assessment and care.

Dr. Noa Oz is a veterinarian at Rose Valley Veterinary Hospital in West Kelowna.