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421115 tn?1203444430

lumps on my dachshunds body

*I have two dachsunds, one 16, a long hair.  And the other is 14 and a short hair.  My Chloe the shorthair has some lumps around her neck and chest.  I have mentioned and showed my vet and he
just says they're fatty tumors.  He feels there is nothing wrong, and for me not to worry.  
Chloe in the last week is coughing if I pick her up where the tumors on her chest are located.  And just in the last few days coughs or lt's like choking or something when she lays down .  It is like the pressure from the fatty tumors are pressing on her chest and she'll cough.  
She isn't having any difficulty breathing.  I'm concerned.  I wish I knew of a doctor in my area that understood dachshunds better.   Just monday of this week my brother had to put his dachshund down because of a tumor that grew to the size of a grapefruit under her chest in just two weeks.  His gretchen did have a melanoma mole or something removed last november.  But they said they got it all.  It was horrible.
I just don't know what to do or where to get a good vet who knows about dachshunds.  Can you give me some infomation.  
We live in San Clemente, california
3 Responses
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234713 tn?1283526659
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
I would find a vet who will biopsy the dermal masses and take X-Rays of your dogs chest and abdomen.  The biopsies could be performed either by fine needle aspirate, which just involves a needle, or via punch biopsy, which would involve a local anesthetic, and one or two sutures.  The latter method would yield a more definitive diagnosis.  

Neither of these biopsy methods involves general anesthesia and are therefore safe in a older dog.

An X-ray would show masses in the chest or abdomen.  

If the dermal masses turn out to be benign they would only have to be excised completely if they were creating a mechanical problem for your dog.

If masses were discovered in the chest or abdomen of your dog, than you could elect to have an echocardiogram and an abdominal ultrasound.

Your dog may be coughing because she may have bacterial, viral, or parasitic heart or lung disease. Or, she may have the beginnings of age related heart or lung disease, which could be controlled by medications.  Please don't assume she has lung or heart cancer because of the dermal masses.  Just have the diagnostics to find out definitively and to set your mind at ease.
Helpful - 0
158939 tn?1274915197
I'm a dachshund lover too.  My oldest female (nearly 11 now) had 7 of those fatty tumors removed about a month ago.  They had to be removed to check for malignancy.  One week after they were removed (and they were all benign), we found another one that just suddenly appeared.  Took her back to the vet, he did a needle biopsy, and it was cancerous.  Needless to say she was back in for surgery the next day.

Find another vet - one who is a surgeon (look for an animal hospital or vet hospital where they do surgeries and have 24-hour emergency care).  It's not worth the risk.  Sienna's cancer sprung up in one week and had grown so large it was very close to her jugular.

You might also want to do a search on dachshund breeders in your area then call them and see who their vet(s) are.  You can Google dachshund breeders or call your local AKC.

Good luck - give your sweet doxies a hug from me and mine.

Helpful - 0
82861 tn?1333453911
I'm not the vet, but just want to tell you it never hurts to get a second opinion.  If you aren't comfortable with the advice your're hearing from your current vet, then consult another one.  Medicine for animals isn't all that different than medicine for humans, and somethimes you just need another set of eyeballs on a given condition.
Helpful - 0

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