Hi Krista
My almost 11 year old MC Potcake (who has too many beings lipomas to count) recently had his senior blood work and urinalysis – everything was normal except an elevated ALP.

The urine was a free catch sample at 4 pm and it was very dilute. This prompted me to remember that he has been drinking a little more (summer) as well as eating a lot of watermelon – and to remind me that he has also had an increased appetite over the last year. I did a specific gravity on a morning urine sample after he had no access to water overnight and he was able to concentrate his urine at 1.025

He has chronic seasonal allergies so his inner thighs have a dark pigment change – this has been present for years – there are no other derm changes and I don’t see a pot bellied appearance but the vet is considering Cushing’s. They suggested an abdominal ultrasound first followed by a low dose suppression test. I would rather do the dex test first before an ultrasound. I’m not sure that I’m convinced that Cushing’s is likely but something may be going on.

Of more concern is that this previously healthy dog coincidentally, a few days after the blood work, had an episode of vertical nystagmus and ataxia – very brief – less than 30 seconds. He’s been fine ever since but its only been a few days – I have been told that vertical nystagmus is less common with Senior Vestibular disease and possibly more likely a central lesion.

any thoughts that you have would be appreciated !
Pam

My 9 year old Potcake (probably shepherd/lab/etc mix) has a long history of lipomas, which grow fairly large. In late October of 2022 I found a lemon sized mass on the back of his right hind leg, which was not bothering him but was firm. Our vet in Ottawa ON is a VCA practice nearby; I was able to get an appointment the next day. The vet and I were both concerned at the location, size and consistency of the mass.

She recommended an xray of the limb and a chest xray to rule out cancer and metastasis as well as blood work. (all normal) She sedated him for the radiorgraphs and aspirated the mass multiple times with a presumptive diagnosis of lipoma. We discussed the fact that it was probably and inter-muscular lipoma, between the two muscles of the hind leg at the back . To remove it she advised a board certified surgeon elsewhere, who she said would want to do an MRI of the limb first to evaluate the extent of the mass in preparation for surgery. When I expressed concern about the cost she offered a surgeon at the VCA who is not board certified but who may be able to attempt a surgery without the MRI.

Since October the mass has grown, especially medially, and is now the size of a grapefruit. He is still not lame or uncomfortable when I feel the mass. I want to prevent problems for him with this leg but I also worry about the invasiveness of the surgery – and the cost, which I can’t afford right now. I am waiting and watching at this time. I worry about having the mass return even after surgery and wonder about removing the majority of it just to give him more comfort when moving – is it ok to wait until it gets bigger? I know that lipomas don’t tend to spread to other parts of the body like malignant cancer – this is why we took the xrays, to look for other signs of cancer in his body. Now i wonder if this was too soon, and should have waited on those tests.