I have a nine-year-old female Cockerpoo. The past
few years she has developed lumps on her abdomen
and chest. She seems to get more and more. My
vet says that these tend to develop on dogs as
they get older. She has never felt the need to
biopsy them. I am concerned about them. Daisy is
in good health otherwise and feeling fine. Could
you please ease my mind? Thanks so much.

Cathy
Arnold, CA

I suspect that Daisy’s lumps are benign (harmless) masses called lipomas (link is an article covering lipomas in humans, which are similar clinically).

Lipomas are extremely common in older dogs of all breeds. They are soft, well-defined masses the develop under the skin. They are made of adipose tissue (fat). Dogs do not have to be overweight to develop lipomas.

Lipomas are also called fatty tumors. I do not use this phrase often. It contains the T-word, which is frightening. Lipomas generally are harmless.

To confirm that Daisy’s masses are, in fact, lipomas, I recommend a procedure called fine needle aspiration. To perform this procedure, a small needle is inserted into each lump. This allows a small amount of each mass to be harvested for analysis. The procedure generally can be performed without sedation or anesthesia. Fine needle aspiration should be performed on all of the masses if possible.

If the masses are confirmed as lipomas, then you have little to worry about. The lumps should be monitored to make sure that they are not growing or changing rapidly. However, the overwhelming majority of lipomas never compromise longevity or quality of life.

I generally do not recommend removal of lipomas unless they are growing rapidly or interfering with basic activities (for instance, extremely large lipomas in the arm pit can interfere with walking). Keeping Daisy svelte may help to control the size of her lipomas, but this is not guaranteed.

There is a high likelihood that Daisy will develop more masses in the future. I recommend that your vet sample all of them. If they all turn out to be lipomas, then you can sleep easy.

Photo: Firefly has no reported lipomas.

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It has been a while since there has been any controversy on this blog. However, an article from a recent issue of Veterinary Economics may stir things up.

The terms of use of the hosting website prohibit me from both linking to the article and quoting directly from it. Please click on the link to see what the author (Melody Heath, DVM) has to say in her own words.

But, to paraphrase, here is her thesis. Shih Poos, Schnoodles, Labradoodles, Cockapoos and other dogs that are descended from two parents of different breeds are mutts. People who buy them are being ripped off. They are buying mixed-breed dogs (that always seem to be half Poodle) at purebred prices.

And she goes a step further. She claims that it is unethical to purchase a mixed-breed dog. Why pay $1500 for a mixed-breed dog when so many other mutts are languishing in shelters and facing euthanasia for lack of a home?

Do I agree? Partly. By definition, any dog that is not purebred is a mutt. So Dr. Heath is definitely right on that score. However, first generation mutts benefit from a phenomenon known as hybrid vigor. The principle of hybrid vigor states that the direct progeny of two inbred (read: purebred) parents will, on average, be heartier and more robust than either parent.

So, although Cocker Spaniels are prone to chronic ear infections and Poodles suffer disproportionately from heart disease, a first generation Cockapoo is less likely to develop either problem than his parents. And, his personality may be predictable–much like a purebred dog. Every Cockapoo I’ve met has been a really great dog.

Sadly, the benefits of hybrid vigor (and the predictable nature of personalities) dissipate in subsequent generations. Most geneticists would agree that if two Labradoodles mate their progeny will, definitively, be mutts.

What about the ethics of purchasing a “designer mutt” when shelter dogs are in need of homes? From the shelter dog’s point of view, the pedigree of the dog you purchase is irrelevant. If you want to save a shelter dog, don’t pay a breeder for any type of dog. Go to the pound.

Like any good argument, I can see a bit of logic to both sides of this one. I welcome your retorts and input in the comments section.

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