Hormonal or glandular lumps affecting companion behaviour?

[oldiesclub]

We have a couple of rescue dogs in foster care at the moment who after having lived together happily for many years, had a serious argument and had to be separated.

The fight started because one dog (Beethoven) has suddenly started insistently humping the other (Tyler).

Coincidentally, Tyler has had two small lumps appear on his neck at the same time, and Beethoven kept nibbling at them, in between humping, and would not leave them alone. Eventually Tyler had enough of this and they had to be split up. Both are older dogs (9 & 10)

Tyler will be visiting the vet for an opinion on whether these small lumps are a problem, but has anyone heard of a condition that might be relevant? It seemed like quite a coincidence that the lumps should appear at the same time as the behaviour change, and we wondered if it was too far fetched to wonder if they might be signalling some other glandular change. Beethoven's health is fine.

Neither dog is neutered at the moment, though both soon will be.

[bigdog]

Hi Oldies club,
Im a vet and so... these are my thoughts.........

Actually, I suspect its a coincidence, the lumps appearing. Unless of course they are actually due to the nibbling from the other dog.

The lumps could be a skin disease eg a "hot spot" from some allergy, or other cause of dermatitis; or perhaps they are even an abscess- in both of these scenarios the areas could be painful, and so then Tyler gets more "grumpy" because he is in pain?

Certainly neck lumps are unlikely to be hormonal; while there are glands in the throat area (the throid glands) which produce a hormone, these would never swell up to such a size to be very noticeable.

Its probably just that because the 2 dogs are in a new foster home, they feel understandably stressed in their new environment, and their form of exhiniting this stress is by "humping" and by neck biting.

Tyler may need some medication for the lumps if they are anything sore; and both dogs will need some kind of adjustment to their routine as advised by your vet, to try to keep them 'unstressed' and in a situation where this kind of interaction can be limited in some way.

Good luck with it, and tell us what your local vet says :)

[oldiesclub]

I think you are right - helps to get an outside perspective sometimes, thanks

Beethoven and Tyler have now been moved to separate foster homes, and both of them seem much happier already. Plus it will be easier to home them individually rather than as a pair!