My senior dog has a belly lump, heavy breathing, and coughing. Why?

Question

My dog is a westhighland terrier she is 14 years old she has a big lump under her body where her belly is she is breathing heavy and coughing too what is wrong ? Pet's info: Dog | West Highland White Terrier | Female | unspayed | 14 years and 4 months old

Andrea M. Brodie, DVM · Accepted Answer

Without a photo of thee lump it is hard for me to assess the condition. This may be a mammary tumor. You should have it examined by your veterinarian. Another possibility would be an abscess. Abscesses can usually be treated with antibiotics and/or be lanced. Your vet may want to do a fine needle aspirate (he takes some material from the bump with a needle and then looks at it under the microscope) to determine whether the mass is concerning. Breathing heavily and coughing could be from a tumor metastatis in the lungs, or, more likely since your dog is an old dog, a congestive heart condition where the heart is not able to pump effectively anymore and therefore lung edema occurs. This makes breathing difficult and causes coughing, especially at night when she rests. Your vet can examine the heart as well when looking at the mass.Please schedule an appointment with your veterinarian soon.

My senior dog has a belly lump, heavy breathing, and coughing. Why?

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