lumps on head

[2tall]

My 7 year old BLM has had a soft lump on his head, right over his right ear, for a couple of years. My old vet never seemed too concerned about it, said maybe some type of cellulitis. 1 year ago, the lump suddenly grew much bigger and pointier, (yes, the joke has been made about the horns sprouting) and the area was oozing and granulated. The vet I was using then shaved his head and called it an infected exema or something like that. We treated with a course of antibiotics, oral and topical. It got better, and the area returned to perfectly normal and flat for the first time in years.

Now a year later, Indy has a similar swelling on the OTHER side! This time the lump is growing over his left ear, on the flat part of his head. It is definitely getting "pointier" but no oozing or scabbing yet. Have ANY of you heard of something like this? I will take him to a vet here in Taos if it does start looking worse, but I know nothing about the vet here except that we went once for heart worm checks and meds when we first got here.

Indy is looking good in general, lots of energy, good appetite so I don't think this thing is causing anyone a problem but me. Dogs should not have lumps on their heads that I did not put!

[Illinois Bob]

Dogs should not have lumps on their heads that I did not put!

Switch to a whiffle bat

[Colonel Blimp]

2tall

I wouldn't be comfortable just letting it progress, particularly if its close to the ear canal. It might just be the same as the previous lump, but equally it might not.

I'd be down the the Vet tout suite.

Eug

[2tall]

Eug, I do not believe the lump is near the ear canal. It is on the soft, flat part of his head. I only mentioned ears to distinguish which side and how far back. But I am going to the vet anyway. My problem is that I do not have much faith in the experience or skill of the only vet here from my one visit for heart worm check and meds. Looking for any input from anyone who has seen this before. If I need a specialist I guess I will have to go to Albuquerque.

[Ken Bora]

I will have to go to Albuquerque.

don't turn left
good luck


.

[2tall]

LOL @ Ken! Some say I have already made that turn.

But I am bumping this just in case anyone else might have some ideas. We have an appointment with the vet tomorrow, but I really want to ask the right questions. I have had the vet I used in SC fax the records of treatment last year. Now I have learned from a fellow RTF'r that similar lumps can be caused by blasto. So any suggestions for talking with a new (to me) vet in rural NM that has likely never had to deal with the same types of illnesses that might be common back east?

[gmhr1]

Let us know Bear has a "fatty tumor " on the top of his head also. We had one removed from his foot ( it was hard) that turned out to be cancer I didnt want to go after this one.

[Pat Puwal]

Our 9 yr. old Winnie had a couple of mast cell tumors under her front leg (arm pit area) two years ago. The vet aspirated and detemined what they were and they were removed. Here is information on that type of lump: http://www.kateconnick.com/library/mastcelltumor.html
Hope everything turns out fine!

[Brad Turner]

I had a lab that had something similar. Little nodes about the diameter of a dime. They would show up, and after a short time they would bust and leave a scab. The scab and hair would fall out after the wound healed, the hair would grow back and another node would show up a few months later somewhere else on the head. Never seemed to bother him.

[gmhr1]

The ones on my dogs head are under the skin