Does anyone know about cysts in older dogs?

[glinda]

Our little Scotty Poo is about 14 almost and she has just seen our vet. He was afraid her nobbie bone in her leg was C but it is arthritis. She is on Shark Cartilage and a non-steroidal pain killer. But again she has grown a large cyst under her armpit and one on her hind nobbie leg and I think that is making her limp on top of it all. Does this have to be removed by a vet or can it be carefully punctured. Uggggh! I have tended to one on my Springer once and it cleared up. Any info would be helpful.

[emilyg]

1. Maybe this will help

http://www.blurtit.com/q412239.html

[radfringe]

2. best have it removed by vet

Our (late) Airedale had one in/near her 'armpit' - it grew quickly and was huge. It interfered with her walking.
Vet said it weighed over 1-lb and was benign.

[BattyDem]

3. My vet always told me ...

fatty tumors and/or benign cysts don't need to be removed unless they're bothering the animal or interfering with their activities in some way.

Since you believe it's causing her to limp, I would definitely discuss it with the vet. Certain growths can be drained, others have to be surgically removed. It depends on the type. She's 14 and I don't know if she has any health issues, but your vet may not want to put her under anesthesia. You may have to weigh the risk of anesthesia against the amount of discomfort the cyst is causing. Again ... discuss it with your vet. You may even want to get a second opinion from a vet who specializes in arthritis. The difficulty walking may not be the cyst at all - it may just be pain. With the right medication and treatment (whirlpool, acupuncture, etc.), you may see a huge improvement.

My poodle had arthritis in his back and legs, which caused him a lot of pain during the last year of his life. My vet recommended whirlpool treatments, but I thought that would stress him out too much. He had several health problems and he didn't handle new situations well. I found that putting him in the bathtub and spraying very warm water (almost hot) over his back and legs while massaging them helped a lot. He loved it! I had a shower hose that connected to the bathtub faucet. I held it in my mouth and aimed it at his back. While the water hit him, I massaged him with both hands. It made a huge difference. :-)

Good luck! :hug:


edited: typo :blush: