Chihuahua

by Danny Joe Seymore
(Heber Springs,Arkansas)

My sisters 6 year old Chihauhua has a bump behind his ear about the size of a pencil eraser.Any ideas or suggestions?I know without seeing it this could be difficult to diagnose. Thank you.

My Comment:

Hi Danny

Lump the "seize of a pencil eraser" - hmmm. Sounds kind of "large".

Well - you are right about it is difficult not being able to see and feel the lump.

I can't tell you what it is but i can give you some information about my thoughts i can have seeing a patient with a lump.

First of all i ask how long time it has been there. If it has been there for a long time or it has only been there for a short time tells you how fast its growing.

If it has been there for a long time and without changing in seize is ofter better than "coming fast and growing fast"

Then i have a look on it. Any wound or discolour of the skin - is it painful on palpation and is the dog irritated by it?

Much pain and irritation can be a sign of infection. Maybe it could be wise and give some antibiotic and see how it change whit this.

Tumors can get inflamed and look lot worse than it might is.

Then feeling on the lump. Generally lumps easy to feel where the borders are is better than more diffuse lumps. Diffuse lumps can be a sign of tendency of malignancy.

Many many different aspects to take into account.

One last thing - even if it might be "just a lump" and no signs of it being bad, even then - if the owner is very concerned i choose to remove it.

Then it is gone and owner can relax. This is also important to think of being a vet.

The same can be true if the lump is of no dangerous nature but growing, perhaps placed on a leg. Here, the amount of skin i limited. Much easier to remove a smaller than a larger lump if little skin is available.

So, my recommendation would be to let your normal veterinarian have a look and a feel on it. Discuss the treatment and perhaps surgery or a biopsy as a option.

Especially have this seize you describe to me.

To see and to feel is the best.

I hope this information, even being very general, can be of some use.

Sincerely

DVM Per Schonbeck