Most breeds of dogs will, towards their elderly years, begin to develop fatty lumps under their skin. For people who aren’t used to owning an elderly dog, this can be a shocking and worrying experience, but in most cases it is just par for the course, and nothing really to be worried about. The only way to deal with these lumps is to surgically remove them, which in itself can be a pretty worrying experience, so you should bear this in mind.

While generally speaking, these lumps which grow on pets are totally benign, and just a sign of your dog’s advancing age, there are clues on whether or not they are something worth worrying about. If they are soft lumps which don’t cause your pet any discomfort, it may be worth just waiting for your dog’s regular check-up to have them looked at. If they are harder and/or cause your dog discomfort, that is more worrying, and is something that you should have looked at as soon as possible. It is important to bear in mind though, that even if the latter is the situation you’re in with your pet dog, there is still a good chance that the lump is benign, and before a surgery takes place biopsy’s can be taken to determine whether or not there is a concern that the lump is malignant.