Lipoma

Early this afternoon, Justin was petting our dog, Ellie, and he noticed a lump on her underside. He asked me to see if I could feel it, and I could. It felt like a round-ish mass, maybe a half inch in diameter, right under the skin. I immediately called the vet, and made the appointment for 4 pm. When I brought her in, Dr. King confirmed that it was a tumor, and after a biopsy that made Ellie bleed all over the floor :( the results were in. Ellie has a lipoma, also known as a benign, fatty tumor - the key word being benign. That was good news! The strange part is, our vet has never seen one of these in a young, healthy dog. They are usually found in overweight, older dogs. I was instructed to keep an eye on it and if it gets much bigger, it may have to be removed, but if it stays the same size, she can live with it forever without any problems. I am thankful it is benign, but I have to admit that it's a little nerve-wracking to hear the word "tumor" about my one year old dog. She's practically still a puppy!

Also, my vet made the comment today that Ellie has some characteristics of an Italian Greyhound.. after googling IGs, I do see some similar traits. Interesting!

Love and Lattés,

Katie