MaryAndDobes

Lipomas are quite common on older Dobermans, but how do they know that hers is a lipoma? Did they do a needle biopsy? If so, the general thought on lipomas is to leave them alone unless they are bothering the dog, impeding movement, etc. However, they often grow very large so removing them when smaller is sometimes a good idea. I had to remove one from a 10 year old because it just got too big and was making her elbow out - it was 3" X 5" and weighed 1/2 lb when it came off.

Anyway, I haven't worried a lot about lipomas but I just got word recently that a puppy from our first litter (he's 11 now) just had what they thought was a large lipoma removed and it was actually something called a hemangiopericytoma, an aggressive mass that will keep coming back. So, things that appear to be lipomas aren't always just innocent lipomas.

Some people believe that daily doses of turmeric (curcumin) help to reduce the size of lipomas.