I noticed last summer that Asbjørn had a lump on his right side, next to his ribcage just behind what would be his armpit. Due to his age, his breed (half Labrador), and his well-documented corpulence, I suspected it was just a fatty tumor, but since it seems to have gotten bigger in the intervening months, I figured it was a good idea to make an appointment to have it checked out.

Yesterday morning we took him to the vet’s office in town, and one hour, one thorough examination, and two x-rays later my layman’s diagnosis was confirmed and he was pronounced fit (for a fat guy). I’m mildly annoyed to have dropped a biggish chunk of money to find out what I already thought was the case, but in the main I’m just relieved to know for sure that there’s nothing to worry about. I’m inordinately fond of that dog, and I’d like to keep him around for another while yet.