Thanks Dan and all of you for the words of encouragement. Fiddy has always been an affectionate dog, more so than the other goldens in our pack so you get an idea of how special he is. I groom the dogs daily, so thought I would catch something like this early, but the stripping comb just ran right over the lump. It's deep inside and firm, definitely not a lipoma, and seems to involve a rib. Not good! Now I make it a point to run my hands over the dogs daily, which they love.
Fiddy is a really sensitive dog. He's always the first one to notice when we don't feel good, and to offer a wet nose in the ear. He gives Tamara one lick across the chin when she goes to bed, then comes over to my side to say goodnight before crawling under the bed to sleep. And he fetches like a champ! Not tennis balls or frisbees. He brings tools, slippers, papers and floppy disks. If I'm under the truck and need a wrench he brings it to me. Eventually. Along with everything else in the toolbox!
A very special dog. We'll baby him this week with all the attention he can handle, and after talking about it we've decided that if the tumor is cancer and has spread, we'll just bring him home like you did and let him enjoy what life remains. He's nine, and has had a wonderful life with us. But all paws are crossed that it's nothing horrible!
Pete