Recent Feedback
I have a nearly 3-year old male boxer. He has had a very small, bony bump on his front leg for several months, at least 8 months. It is very small, maybe the size of a BB or less. It is on his lower front leg. It's on the edge of the bone. It's very hard. It feels like bone. There's no swelling around it. He has never limped on this leg or given any indicaiton he's in pain. I can apply a lot of pressure to it, pressing very hard with my fingers right on it and it doesn't seem painful at all to him. I don't think it's gotten bigger since I've noticed it last fall, but it might be getting "flatter." It seemd to have a sharper point when I first noticed it, and now it seems like the point is gone but it's just flatter/duller possibly. If it has gotten bigger, it is very slight, nothing excessive. Sometimes I'm not sure if it has grown or not. I've heard this can be a "bone bruise" or a "bone spur." Of course, being that he's a boxer, we worry about any growths on him. Our vet looked at it several months ago when we first noticed it and felt it and wasn't worried about it. Just wondering if this is something to be looked into more aggressively. I'm always worried about cancer in my dogs!
Optional Information: Type of Animal: Dog Pet's Gender: Male Pet's Age: 2 Already Tried: Just watching it, looking for any signs of it changing or bothering him.
HiCustomer
Being that your boy is only 3 years old, and the lump hasn't really changed much, I think your vet is right on point suggesting that you just keep an eye on it.
We don't really see a lot of cancer in a dogs as young as yours, and although there are exceptions to every rule, I would absolutely be more worried if that lump were painful or changing in size. Since it's not, I would just keep track of it and if you notice anything unusual with it, or if your dog becomes lame on that leg, that's when you should take a closer look.
I hope this helps.
Experience: AAS Vet Tech. Bully breed rehab & Behavior modification