FREAKING OUT!!!

[crickle_22]

Today we were petting Koda and Oscar found this big dime sized scab on Koda's side, but underneath felt like a hard-ish lump... I've been trying to find out what it is and if I should take him to the vet... we have gone through $900 in the past few weeks on vets and I don't have the money right now to bring him AGAIN so soon... (Im going to call them tomorrow and see if I can have it looked at and make payments)... has anyone ever had a strange scab, lump thing just appear on their dogs?? Am I over reacting?
I'm going to call tomorrow and see if they can see us to be on the safe side...

Boy, I feel like it's one obsticle after another.. when can I just enjoy my dog?? I'm so stressed. :S

[Sarahloo]

Maybe a tick bite that he scratched? Vaccination can cause temporary lumps too. Don't freak out just yet! He's a young dog, he's probably fine! Let the vet look at it, he'll know.

[Blackbear]

Check for grass seeds. Some grass seeds will penetrate the skin and can actually get into the bloodstream. They result in a lump and can have scabs when the grass seed is removed (from scratching).

[Sarahloo]

Check for grass seeds. Some grass seeds will penetrate the skin and can actually get into the bloodstream. They result in a lump and can have scabs when the grass seed is removed (from scratching).

Oh yes, that too! See if there's something in the wound that you can squeeze out!

[IliamnasQuest]

A lump could be any number of things, and some of them are not really a problem and can be dealt with at home.

An abrasion from rough play with another dog, or running into a tree branch, etc. can leave a scab and a little lump. Usually that scab can be peeled off to see raw skin (sometimes bleeding) underneath in what is pretty obviously a minor wound. cleaning it regularly usually suffices with those types of minor injuries.

Sebaceous cysts are another very common "lump" found on dogs. I've found them on several of my dogs over the last couple of decades. They're simply a collection of oils and dirt, somewhat like a pimple on a person. The lumps on the dogs tend to get bigger and rounder and often feel hard at first. On my dogs they tend to be between pea size and nickel sized (sometimes as big around as a quarter). If there's a scab there, it would mean the cyst has done some draining. Often those cysts can be emptied by yourself, and if it's already opened up a bit to drain it shouldn't be too hard. I simply squeeze them, from underneath as best I can, to squeeze out the gunk. Usually it's white, creamy kind of stuff. Sometimes it's more gross and more liquid. Sometimes I have to squeeze pretty hard to get it to pop open. when I worked as a vet tech, the vet told me to go ahead and empty them regularly and they'll usually go away, so that's what I've been doing for a lot of years now and it's been successful on every dog. Sometimes it takes numerous squeezings, but if you remember to check your dog about twice a week you soon get used to it.

The waxy stuff that comes out sticks to the fur, so if I have one that I'm going to have to empty frequently for a while, I simply clip a little bit of hair directly over the cyst, and then use tiny rubber bands to band back the fur around it. Baby wipes are handy for clean-up. By the way, sometimes these cysts empty out a lot of blood (often oldish brownish blood) so don't be scared if that happens. You may need to apply a bit of pressure for a while if one starts bleeding bright red (fresh) blood. Again, it isn't something I would worry about - I've emptied dozens of sebaceous cysts and only one bled, and that was easy to stop with some pressure. And I still emptied it again!

Now, the lump could be something quite different. If you squeeze it and the dog acts like it really hurts, it's probably not a cyst (either that, or you have a very sensitive, wimpy dog .. *L*). Don't push it if your dog reacts really badly. Mine all handled the cyst-emptying just fine. If it looks like a wound that may be a bit infected, you can try warm compresses (using washcloths, clean rags, or paper towels). This will help draw out infection and also anything possibly stuck in there (like a thorn or splinter). I don't worry about a vet visit unless there's a big infrection or the wound doesn't clear up even with daily soaking and doctoring. I keep a whole dog first aid kit that has everything from Pepto Bismol and Immodium to various wraps, bandages and tapes to thermometers, Surfact, simethicone and dog booties.

If the lump gets worse quickly, or your dog starts running a fever, or gets listless and won't eat or drink, then a trip to the vet should happen right away. If your dog seems perfectly fine except you found a lump, I would see what you can do with the lump before running to the vet. Try the squeezing or compressing and see what happens. Clip a little bit of hair directly over the lump (not a big obvious area, just enough so you can part the hair and see it okay) and that will allow you to find it more quickly and to examine it more successfully. If you DO need to go to the vet, then the vet will be able to see it better too.

Good luck, and don't worry too much. We can really take care of most of the things that happen to our beasties. It just takes some practice, and I know that can be difficult. If you don't HAVE to go to the vet, it makes it easier on the dog and on your finances! And for someone like me, who is on disability and watching every penny, that's important. I keep my first aid kit up to date and read up on potential problems beforehand so I'm prepared. And with MY two, who play together VERY roughly, little wounds are NOT unusual! *L*

Melanie and the girls in Alaska
Khana CD RE SD (Service Dog - Chow Chow)
Tazer (GSD)
...pulling out a bit of my 5-6 years working as a vet tech, 4-5 years as a Emergency Medical Technician, and more than 20 years of professional dog training - no wonder my first aid kit is so big! *L*

[Victory]

Boy, I feel like it's one obsticle after another.. when can I just enjoy my dog?? I'm so stressed. :S

Having a chow is like having a three year old kid, they get scrapes and bumps and insect bites, and with all the fur you often can't see them right away. Most of them like Melonie said are easy to take care of at home. Firesong recently had a little cut by her eye, (I think Dreamdancer caught her with a claw when they were playing) I just cleaned it really good, put some anti-biotic ointment on it and did that for a couple of days and it's all healed up. You could just kind of see a little scar, (the hair was gone) when she was at the Vet, the vet said it looked just fine.

The thing is to be calm, and be confident that you can deal with the small stuff. Cause there will be small stuff...

[crickle_22]

Thank you all for the feedback in the postings! I am more calm now after reading them. I am going to leave it be for a few days and see how things go... if it gets worse or becomes something that I am really concerned about I will bring Koda in. He is in good spirits and seems to be just fine so Im not stressing as much as I was. We have an issue with fireants in the backyard so Im starting to wonder if they are bugging koda when he goes outside?? I live in housing so I'll have to call them and have them come fix our ant problem!

If it's a pimple or something that I have to squeeze, I might have to get Oscar to do that... I have a bit of a weak stomach for that stuff... and Koda is a BIG baby when it comes to us touching it.
He has been chewing at his back thigh today and wont let me get close enough to look at it.. (He fights to move away from me)... I'll have to get him when he is good and tired to check it out.... :/

I know it might seem like I am a bit worried about the smallest things.. but I grew up with animals and my parents weren't the type to bring them to the vets, or keep up with shots etc and I always promised myself that when the time came for me to have my own animal that I would do EVERYTHING I possibly could for it.. and if I couldn't, then I wouldn't get one. I just get so worried that I'm going to miss something or over look something that might need vet attention.. so I jump at everything.

I love that this site gives the quick access to people who can help! I can't say enough how much I appreciate it!

IliamnasQuest,

I was contacted by someone via email who actually told me about you.. and I've been meaning to get in contact with you because like you, I have a disability and it's something that is new and I'm learning my limitations and it's been challenging (Ive always been someone active and capable of doing anything I wanted to).. and I am now restricted to the things I am able to do. I have two REALLY bad hips and they have started to deteriorate and it's been making my training with Koda challenging. Oscar my husband has been training him as well and it seems to be working very well... and Koda has learned all the basic commands (now whether he does them is based on his mood).. but my issue that I am having is that with Oscar koda listens very well, but with me I feel as if he is starting to lose "respect" for me, he listens to me... but he is also very stubburn and willful with me. Could you possibly lend me some training advice or insite as to how you are able to train your dogs?? I could use any bit of advice. It's been such a hard thing... Training Koda and dealing wtih the physical limitations is tough.. but I've been emotionally drained lately because it's all so new... any advice with that also??

[Ursa's daddy]

Two years ago, I had problems with "hot spots" on my male. He would get an irritation somewhere, then lick and chew on it, making it worse. I was living in Savannah at the time, and the dogs were not clipped. I am now in south Mississippi, and my wife has had both the dogs clipped fairly short. We also are using a shampoo with 1% soluble sulfur and 1% salicylic acid. I haven't had any problems in the last year. They are only bathed about every other month.
Good luck with the training. My male will not listen to my wife. He listens to me and my son. I joke that he is a male chauvinist. Occasionally he will balk with me. He sat down in the door way once when I went to let him out. I did like a mother dog would have done, and grabbed a handful of the woolly ruff around his neck. We looked at each other for a while, and then he got up and went outside. You don't have to pull the hair. The idea is deliver a dominance message. Physically, it is difficult to make a dog do anything. The whole point of training is to make the dog understand that you are the pack leader, and the dog is secure and well cared for because you are the pack leader.