Mysterious lump on muzzle of Shepherd mix - Page 1

Hello, this is my 10 yr old, Shepherd mix and best friend Nico. About 6 months ago he began to develop a small lump on his muzzle. We had the semi hard lump biopsied and it was determined to be benign. The lump got a little smaller during the short period Nico was on antibiotics for an unrelated incident. Since, however, the lump has grown to the size you see in the pictures. It doesn't affect his breathing and everything about Nico is normal. Last week our vet took chest xrays and drew blood - all appears normal. His oral (teeth) x rays from 6 months ago were perfect. There is no drainage from his nose and no abscess or drainage from the lump. I saw a very similar post on this site from February 2008. (Author: RemeberJack). I was wondering if your issue was ever resolved and the cause of the lump determined. Nico is going to a holistic vet tomorrow. Thanks for any advise, Nico's mom.

Did you have this x-rayed? I have seen something like this and though it was "benign", it was, in fact a bony tumor. The fact that this is not yet affecting the breathing of the dog is good, but if this is growing this fast, I think the likelihood that this remains without problems is going to be very small. I would strongly suggest getting an x-ray of the muzzle and submitting a new biopsy for determination of what this is. In the case of the dog I had, unfortunately, by the time the owners brought it to my attention, it was too late for any type of treatment (removing the lesion). Finding someone who can tell you exactly what this is may be your only chance to help this dog. Fast growth makes it imperative you get proper help. Sorry, but a holistic vet is probably not going to know about these types of bony tumors........ Take the dog to a specialist ASAP.

Good luck.

Thank you Hodie,

Yes, I've had the lump x rayed - it looked fine, and we took a bone biposy 6 months ago which came back clear.  Nico is scheduled for another bone biopsy and we're planning to see a specialist.  I appreciate advice like yours which I may be able to present to the Vet in hopes of reaching a diagnosis.  I will keep posting on Nico's progress.

Nicosmom,

Even if something is "benign", if it grows quickly, and especially if it is invasive in the sense that it invades bone, it can quickly become a serious problem. If it is some soft tissue growth, perhaps it can be removed. If it is bony, by the looks of it already, it would probably be very difficult to remove. The question is whether it will continue to grow and if it does, how it will impact the sinuses, ability to breath, nerves, and even the eyes. So it is critical to get a specialist to look at this and make a definitive diagnosis.

The dog I just had showed a very small lump on the shoulder, which, in about 6 months time was larger than a softball. The dog was clearly already in pain and within another 6 months had to be put down. She was 3 years old! It was a benign tumor, but by the time the owners contacted me, there was no possibility to remove it and they chose to let the dog live as full a life as possible until it was unable to enjoy life.

Hopefully, you can get a diagnosis and some treatment asap.

Best wishes.

Thank you, will do.

nicosmom,

i have  belgian sheepdog with same problem as your dog, bump started growing 2 month's ago and has been diagnosed most likely as a cancer issue by the vet. i am taking him to the U of Minn for a biopsy next week. how is nico doing? hope all is going well.
Best wishes