Guest eposh Posted October 14, 2014 Share Posted October 14, 2014 Hello all - Our four year old, beautiful retired racer girl, Gypsy, has developed a big, black and raised bump on her chest. On her last visit to the vet for a toenail clip, my husband asked them about it and they said it was just her nipple. At the time, it wasn't as big. It tends to be smaller sometimes and then get bigger. She has picked it before too and then it looks more like a scab. I really don't think it's a nipple as it's not in the right place and it doesn't look like the rest of her nipples. I'm attaching a picture to see if anyone else might know what it is. I'm starting to worry about it and I'm wondering if I should take her to the vet for another look. As a side note, she just started limping on her front right paw a few days ago. I don't see any swelling or anything obvious but she's not a fan of us touching it. Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you! Gypsy Mark - Close-up by carsmama, on Flickr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kudzu Posted October 14, 2014 Share Posted October 14, 2014 I strongly recommended getting it checked by vet. It could be something benign or dangerous. There is really no way to tell just by looking. If it's something malignant you are much better to get vet help sooner rather than later. All that said, my dogs gets spots like that and so far have all just been hemangiomas. Our approach now is just to give it a week or so to see if it goes away on its own. Hemangiomas tend to crop up in light colored areas. My guy is mostly white and he's the only one of my hounds who have gotten these. So far all have been on his lower half, mostly belly & inside of legs. Info on hemangiomas here: http://www.grassmere-animal-hospital.com/Hemangiomas.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kudzu Posted October 14, 2014 Share Posted October 14, 2014 Meant to add that my guy's spots sometimes scab over. Though the scabs will usually fall off on their own, if they are scratched off they will bleed. Personally I would think the spots you note are not related to her limp. But the limp would worry me. Limps always worry me. Then again, if that spot isn't a nipple but your vet believed it was... ??? Just a little worrisome as well. Odd. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest eposh Posted October 14, 2014 Share Posted October 14, 2014 I strongly recommended getting it checked by vet. It could be something benign or dangerous. There is really no way to tell just by looking. If it's something malignant you are much better to get vet help sooner rather than later. All that said, my dogs gets spots like that and so far have all just been hemangiomas. Our approach now is just to give it a week or so to see if it goes away on its own. Hemangiomas tend to crop up in light colored areas. My guy is mostly white and he's the only one of my hounds who have gotten these. So far all have been on his lower half, mostly belly & inside of legs. Info on hemangiomas here: http://www.grassmere-animal-hospital.com/Hemangiomas.htm Thank you for the link. I've been searching Google for days trying to find something that looks like what she has and I couldn't find anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XTRAWLD Posted October 14, 2014 Share Posted October 14, 2014 Kasey has had these before. After the vet ensured pus didn't come from it, he dismissed it. This tends to occur with Kasey now and again, and if the scab comes off it's either bleeding or clear underneath, so I pay no mind. Not to say you shouldn't have a vet look at it for this first instance. You'll know later on to dismiss it otherwise. Quote Proudly owned by:10 year old "Ryder" CR Redman Gotcha May 201012.5 year old Angel "Kasey" Goodbye Kasey Gotcha July 2005-Aug 1, 2015 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnF Posted October 14, 2014 Share Posted October 14, 2014 As the others have said it's most likely a hemangioma, but just get it checked properly in case it might be the more serious melanoma type of lesion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest eposh Posted October 14, 2014 Share Posted October 14, 2014 Thank you for your replies everyone. I will get her an apointment to have it checked out very soon and I'll let you know what I find out. I appreciate the feedback. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tbhounds Posted October 15, 2014 Share Posted October 15, 2014 (edited) One can't distinguish the difference between a benign hemangioma vs a more sinister cancer like cutaneous hemangiosarcoma without a cytology or a biopsy. I'm sure your vet will perform one or the other. Edited October 15, 2014 by tbhounds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3greytjoys Posted October 15, 2014 Share Posted October 15, 2014 I'd encourage you to please ask for the earliest veterinary appointment possible for Gypsy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeorgeofNE Posted October 16, 2014 Share Posted October 16, 2014 I would not worry too much about that lump, but it doesn't need to be looked at. I would be more worried about a limping greyhound. Please, don't let the vet blow off your concern. If he or she isn't savvy enough to know that any limp in a Greyhound needs to be taken seriously, find a new vet. Particularly if they can't tell the difference between a nipple and a lump! Quote Susan, Hamish, Mister Bigglesworth and Nikita Stanislav. Missing Ming, George, and Buck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3greytjoys Posted October 16, 2014 Share Posted October 16, 2014 I would not worry too much about that lump, but it doesn't need to be looked at. Just guessing GeorgeofNE meant to type "but it does need to be looked at." Hopefully Gypsy's bump is not malignant; however, two hounds in our Greyhound family have had malignant hemangiosarcoma. IMO, it is too highly aggressive a cancer to delay testing a questionable growth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest undergreysspell Posted October 17, 2014 Share Posted October 17, 2014 I just had the same looking lesion removed from one of mine. It turned out to be a dermal hemangiosarcoma, most likely caused by sun bathing. Thank goodness I went with my gut and had it removed while still small. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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