Dog has 3kg 'football sized' tumour surgically removed – and survives
Bouncer the labrador collapsed after massive 'lipoma' grew on his leg
Bouncer sports a massive scar after a 3.3kg tumour is removed from his hind leg (Image: My Family Vets)
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A dog is walking again after a football-sized tumour was removed from his side and hind leg.
Bouncer the labrador collapsed while out with his owners after a lipoma – a lump which develops under the skin due to an overgrowth of fat cells – swelled to 3.3kg.
His owner Zoe McNulty had spotted the growth towards the end of last year but at the time it was small and Bouncer showed no signs of distress.
But in March, a week before the country went into coronavirus lockdown, the lipoma began to swell rapidly. Covid-19 regulations meant she couldn't have Bouncer's lipoma looked at until his condition was classed as an emergency.
Eventually, Bouncer began struggling to walk and collapsed.
The football-sized tumour before it was surgically removed (Image: My Family Vets)
Zoe took Bouncer to White Cross Vets, Eccleshill, Bradford, and while a biopsy revealed the tumour was benign, it needed to be removed.
It took vets one-and-a-half hours to remove the offending tissue but the operation, in June, was a success, removing the tumour in one piece.
Zoe, 37, from Greengates, Bradford, said: "The vets called us to let us know everything had gone to plan, and we were so relieved.
"Bouncer's an adorable dog with such a caring nature. He's a huge part of our family."
Now Bouncer, aged nine, is back to his usual self.
The 3.3kg lipoma was removed in one piece (Image: My Family Vets)
Zoe, a mum-of-four and NHS team coordinator, said: "He was back to his normal, bouncing self just a few hours after the operation. The only difference was his scar."
She thanked White Cross Vets which is part of the My Family Vets group.
Zoe, who also owns a shar-pei called Bear, added: "I can't thank them enough. They were great from the start, explained everything to us and generally went above and beyond my expectations."
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Lipomas affect one in 50 dogs each year in the UK. While they're mostly harmless the size and the rate at which they grow can cause owners alarm.
There's more information about lipomas here.