Dog lumps

my 11yr old staffie bitch has a mass lump on her knee joint on her hind leg.she has had 2 operations and it’s gruback bigger than before. Any solutions as to what we can do as I don’t want her to have anymore operations because of her age. If it bursts would should I expect . She can still run around in the fields and it doesn’t seem to effect her

Hello and thankyou for this question.  It sounds as though the lump has been tested and is definitely a recurring lipoma; the way that we deal with these has changed.  It used to be normal practise to routinely remove them, but if your vet is sure that a lump is simply a lipoma, it could be that diet or even thyroid function needs to be addressed.

It is unusual for a lipoma to burst, depending on where it is located.  While people put weight on different parts of our body equally (so the fact and the girth tend to get fatter, for example) some dogs simply distribute it in lumps.  If this is the case, weight-loss may be the key to reducing the lumps and any impact they might cause.

SECOND POST REWRITTEN FOR CLARITY:  It is unusual for a lipomata to burst, depending on where they are located.  Humans tend to put weight on in different areas of the body (so the face and the girth might tend to get fatter, for example) but some dogs simply store excess weight in tumour-like lumps.  If this is the case, weight-loss may be the key to reducing the lumps and any impact they might cause - but please do consult your vet first; they may wish to test the lump and assess your dogs' weight in order to rule other causes out.