Fatty Tumors, please share your knowledge

[herediachar]

My Doberman, Chili who lives in Costa Rica with me, is 7 (8 in November), has fatty tumors...

Several months ago Chili began to have a few fatty tumors show up on her chest, they were very small. The vet took some samples from each and the lab result reports that there is no cancer. Then yesterday during her morning massage (which I do daily) I find a huge mass that feels the same as the smaller ones on the side of her neck. Friends were over last night and they exclaimed that it was easily seen without having to touch it --- so it is like it appeared overnight.

BTW:
--The vet advised to reduce the fat in Chili's diet and to start her on Science Diet light. This he said was in hopes of not developing any more tumors, as surely with more one would be cancerous.
-- The small tumors that I originally found are still the same size.

Would you recommend that we take Chili to the vet to take a sample from this tumor for testing? If so and it were cancerous would you advise surgery?
Or just leave all tumors be and get no sample and no surgery?

8 years ago I had a Rotti (Buster) that had one fatty tumor removed (he was 5)and 3 years later we had to put him to sleep--cancer--and at that time he had about 25 small tumors all over him. After the surgery the tumors multiplied like crazy. Chili's tumors feel exactly like Buster's did. My first inclination because of this is to leave the tumors completely alone---no sample for the lab and no surgery! Chili will be 8 years old in November. If she could be active and health for 3 more years she would be 11. The only difference that I see right now is that this new one is very large and they are showing up quicker than Buster's did.

Another BTW: After having Buster's first tumor removed from his chest I got upset with the vet and decided to get a second opinion on somethings. During this second opinion appointment the vet said that he didn't recommend removing fatty tumors because as soon as you open them up the tumors will multiply faster and the chances grow stronger for one to be cancerous.

Please share your knowledge! Thanks!
Char

[ANNA]

Hi, I;m new here, and I was reading about your dog, "with fatty tumour;s" I had my german sheperd , and she suddenly developed the exact same symptoms that you have described, and I was told the same,, in just three weeks, the vets had conflicting views,, and said they would remove one? I agreed , but given the choice over , I would not have agreed, she developed the one in her neck I am so sorry I agreed to allow them to touch her, because, it was a downhill slope for her , and it turned out to be cancer , after I was told they were "fatty lumps,"
I wish you all the best with you;rs and I have come to the point , that I have lost some trust in vets,,, but I WILL PRAY FOR YOU AND YOUR DOG,