Thigh lump

So my dog has this lump on his thigh. Hes had this for approx 2 years and it's grown as he's grown. Now it's about the size if a 50 pence piece.  My vets have seen it a couple times when he's been in for other things, however they've never really shown much interest in it, or suggested any sort of investigation. It's never bothered him, however this last couple days he's been licking it on and off so I'm inclined to think it's now bothering him. Should I be pressing my vets to investigate it? Am I right in thinking removal may be an issue due to the location (thigh muscles, come to rear end etc)? Thanks in advance

Hello - and I know it's a boring answer, but I'm afraid that it's impossible to tell from here.  Usually sinister lumps don't bother dogs very much, so that would be no medical reason to avoid a biopsy.  However the fact he's interested in it now tells us nothing, because if the skin over the top has become infected with bacteria or yeast, this could itch and provoke interest regardless of whether the lump itself is sinister or not.   For me, the only way to know what a lump is made of is to biopsy it.  There is no 'right place' for a lump; it mostly hinges on how much the vets want to take and how much spare skin is available.  They may offer to biopsy or put a needle in (and sample a few random cells) first.  A biopsy is better because it preserves the layout / architecture of the tissue, but can involve two operations instead of one, so there's a trade-off .... Anyway, lots to think about;  definitely worth a chat to your vet. If you type 'lump' into our blog search-bar, there are some much better articles which may give you more information.

OK thank you, and thanks for taking the time to reply x

I would have it checked by the vet for Mast Cell Carcinoma. I have had 2 dogs die from this cancer and both had lumps like that that grew over time. My vet always dismissed it and showed no concern. I now go to a different vet. my lab had it the worst and hers were extremely itchy and over time, she began licking and chewing them til they bled. My Beagle had the lumps but they didn’t seam to bother her. Both started developing the lumps around age 8 and both lived to be 12 years old.

https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/mast-cell-tumors-in-dogs