Would anyone be able to tell me what types of masses to look out for that would appear on an older dog? Mika has a soft benign form on the top of her skull. But her vet today found a much harder mass on her underside. Does anyone know of what it could be or what I should be concerned about? I know that this is a hard topic to answer.

Many dogs get benign masses and fatty tumors with age. They can be caused by many things. We had a bird dog that would also get fluid pockets that would form around stickers that had embedded under her skin while out hunting. This would shrink and grow on their own. Harder masses usually put me on alert more. While hard masses can be benign they are sometimes made up of materials other than fat that could lead to or be a symptom of something else. They are also more likely to interfere with other things. In short, every lump should be looked out for because any could be malignant or carry infection depending on its cause. It is possible that she might have a hernia as well and it isn't a tumor at all.

The vet had told me what concerned her about the mass on her side, was the fact that it was under the skin and harder. Not loose and fatty like the one on her head. She told me that we can remove both or just the one that she is concerned with the next time she goes in for another dental. So now we are trying to raise money for her surgeries.

she should run a biopsy on the lump and find out if it needs to be removed. it could be a soft tissue sarcoma.

My dozen dog passed at 8 years of age due to cancer, she did have the mass on rear. Check it out for sure.