Fast Growing Mass In Italian Greyhound

[macoduck]

Photo of my 10 y.o. italian greyhound. Mass quickly growing under his left lower ribcage. Hard. Not tender. Has not crossed the midline of his chest.
Does not present as a typical lipoma (squishy and moveable).
Vet thinks it may still be some kind of hard fatty growth. She is hesitant to do a fine needle aspiration not knowing what is behind/under it.
Charlie was recently diagnosed as hypothyroid and began meds last week. (Diabetes, Cushings and UTI ruled out).
Behavior change in that he wakes us up by 2:30am nearly every night wanting food and attention and will keep doing it until normal breakfast time.
Otherwise normal daytime behavior.
Yes, he's overweight despite measured meals.
Will be making appt with a vet that has ultrasound this week.

[cleptogrey]

Good luck with Charlie, glad you have an appointment this week. Hugs and a cat nap for You!

[KF_in_Georgia]

My Silver had a hard mass on her rib cage. Attempts to get a FNA did not produce anything useful. She was starting to have discomfort just because the mass was awkwardly located, and we decided to remove the mass. Vet did pre-op lab work and her numbers were awful (especially liver). Ultrasound the next day revealed a growth on her heart that had not been present in x-rays three weeks earlier, and we put Silver to sleep. Vet diagnosed hemangiosarcoma.

 

She didn't seem to feel unwell until that last week, when there was a lot of panting. She was still eating well, but the last day, when we were going in for the ultrasound, she was unable to get into the car without help for the first time--ever.

 

Edited August 5, 2018 by KF_in_Georgia

[macoduck]

KF_in_Georgia, was Silver's mass also located at the lower left rib cage? Do you think her poor liver values were related to the hemangiosarcoma or had she had liver problems in the past?

 

Charlie is still eating well but he has shown some hesitancy to jump up on my bed at night.

[Remolacha]

I hope Charlie’s mass is something benign

[Houndtime]

Good thoughts for your boy.

[BatterseaBrindl]

[XTRAWLD]

That's scary. Thinking of you.

[FiveRoooooers]

Best thoughts for Charlie

[ramonaghan]

Adding my best wishes for Charlie.

[KF_in_Georgia]

Silver's mass was lower right rib cage. It was fixed--felt attached to the rib--and very firm. The vet tried FNA, and what came out didn't register as cancerous or anything else. The lab just said "indeterminate."

 

She had never had liver problems (and we did lab work on her every year). But the ultrasound specialist looked at her images and said he thought the growth on her heart would rupture within a couple of days. Rather than risk that, we decided to put her to sleep right away--end her discomfort and avoid putting her through a crisis.

I still miss her--a lot. I adored that girl.

 

Good luck with Charlie.

[cmc333]

How awful to read about Charlie. Since he had tested negative for diabetes and was hypothyroid, I thought your road forward was easy. Hoping that the mass is something benign.

[macoduck]

Benign!!!

It's a big lipoma even though it's bigger, deeper and feels harder than the small dermal one on his chest.

Ultrasound of kidneys, liver, spleen and bladder all normal. He has a bit of sludge in his gall bladder.

 

Money well spent for peace of mind.

[carronstar]

[Remolacha]

:yay

[FiveRoooooers]

What a relief! Yay Charlie!

[palmettobug]

Oh, Charlie, you little weirdo!

[ramonaghan]

Phew!

[KF_in_Georgia]

Yay!

[Batmom]

Great news!

 

 

Our elderly whippet had one like that (didn't look or feel like a lipoma, grew fast, was one anyways).

[cmc333]

[Newgreymom]

Great news Ducky!!!!