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LARGE sac of fluid on dog

My 16yr old Schiperkke was backed over by a neighbor on a cell phone. Dog went to vet and x-rays revealed nothing broken,"Her fat may have saved her life". While that is very funny, after a long recovery, she still has a mass where the tire pinched her butt to the ground.She gets along OK but now has poop sticking to her fur,as her tail is no longer inside her tail flap,(Skips don't have tails).So I deal with that. But a year later?, the flappy large area is still there. The Vet. just says she's fat. But only there? It feels like fluid. Really. I thought it may had been blood as it did shrink an incredible amount, leaving just the stretched skin with something soft inside.I looked up everything, blood-blister, sarcoma, lymphoma, Shes weird looking, but I would love to be as resilient as she is. She is truly that, "Once in a lifetime" dog. I want to help her. Now it seems she has a NEW Lump! Lumps seem to be common, On the back of her neck,LARGE, and soft.Get's big then shrinks a bit. Started as a mass of extra skin, on one side.Now it's full, and a little to her left. Vet say's, "Don't worry, She had a good life".Well niether me or Beary are writing her off yet.I think I will pierce it and see if it drains, Had one dog before with a small lump, and drained it to never return. Maybe Lady Bear will show and amaze me one more time. (16 is CONSERVATIVE!!) She's older than dirt. I love her. Thanks, Ed
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675347 tn?1365460645
COMMUNITY LEADER
Hi Edward, I just read your "mood" and saw that Bear's lump has increased in size since yesterday (have I got that right?) A lump that balloons up like that very quickly is probably not cancer, but may be fluid. There may be an area of inflammation, and that is why there is a fluid collection, or there might be another cause. I do think the vet should check this out. It could possibly be painful though sometimes things like this aren't. The swelling sometimes 'protects' any sore or inflamed areas. It's nature's way of forming a protective cushion around a sore area.
But the vet should take a look.
I guess there could be a reluctance to visit the vet because of Bear's age...sometimes they kind of "give up" on older dogs, don't they? Without taking into account their individual natures, and individual fitness levels. Age seems to be the only thing they can think of!
I kind of know. My dog is nearly 13, ther fact that she behaves, eats, runs, etc better than some dogs of 7 or 8 and doesn't get plagued by arthritis, doesn't seem to be taken into account by vets, and always the mention of her age comes first!
My dog has received good care from her vets, but I always have to speak up for her too, mentioning her general condition. I do find that slightly worrying, as I am very often given quite negative responses to some ideas on the basis only of her age.

Bite the bullet, and take her in to be checked over. But be ready to speak up for her if necessary. You know your own dog, like no-one else does.
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675347 tn?1365460645
COMMUNITY LEADER
Oh and by the way (with the greatest respect to your vet) -don't take any "she's had a good life" (ie -let's not bother giving her the best treatment) -from your vet. As long as treatment isn't causing undue suffering, then it is recommended at any age, and negative "age-ist" thinking is out!
(unless of course any course of treatment wouldn't be recommended for any reason because of her general fitness)
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675347 tn?1365460645
COMMUNITY LEADER
She does indeed sound like an amazing dog, Lady Bear! What a lot to go through, and she seems she's not doing so badly....
Now the usual rule-of-thumb when it comes to lumps is --get them needle-biopsied. No matter how young or how old the dog is. Some simple cysts would, I suppose, drain OK and maybe not come back, but a Lipoma (benign, by the way and nothing to worry about) -wouldn't, and trying to drain it might just hurt her a bit. Lipomas are usually better just left, unless they are putting pressure on surrounding tissues and causing pain. Dogs can usually live quite happily with them.
Then again, if it was a cancerous lump, the best thing by far is to have it taken off ASAP. And Lady Bear would probably surprise those vets by bouncing back from the surgery, even at 16!
So do her a favour. Go get that neck lump needle-biopsied.
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