What is a lump?
A lump is a swelling or growth that can appear on or under your pet’s skin. Finding a lump on your pet can be a worrying time but try not to panic – not all lumps are nasty. Lumps and bumps are more common in older pets but they can be found in younger animals too. Swellings or growths can simply be caused by a bruise or even an abscess so is not always a cause of concern. Whilst some dogs can develop cancerous growths please remember that there are many treatment options available. If caught early most cancers are treatable; just keep an eye on your pet for any new lumps and get them checked by your vet as soon as you notice them.
Is it cancerous?
A lump can be either benign (non-cancerous) or malignant (cancerous) but it is not usually possible to tell the difference simply by looking at it. Some form of testing will be required to determine if the lump is cancerous. There are many testing options available that your vet can advise you about.
Benign lumps are simply an overgrowth of cells. They tend to grow slowly and don’t spread to other parts of the body. However, benign lumps can be irritating to your pet and may become troublesome if they grow to a large size, as this may make it difficult for your pet to move around. Malignant lumps are cancerous, they tend to grow more quickly than benign growths and can spread to other body parts.
Your vet will be able to test the lump to help determine the type of growth your pet has and what treatment is required.
What testing can be done for my pet?
The testing recommended by your vet will depend on the type and location of the lump.
Most lumps can be sampled easily and with only minor discomfort by placing a needle into them and gathering the cells contained within. This test is called a fine needle aspirate (FNA). The sample of cells is placed onto a glass slide and this is then sent to the laboratory – either in your practice or an external lab. The results are usually available within a few days. The type of cells present can help the pathologist identify the nature of the growth but not always. Occasionally a diagnosis can only be achieved by taking a tissue biopsy.
If your vet suggests a tissue biopsy is necessary, your pet will need to be sedated (and given local anaesthetic) or given a general anaesthetic to take a sample of tissue from the lump. The sample is then sent to the laboratory for analysis. The results will be ready in a week or two and when available the vet will call you to discuss them.
If your vet is worried about a cancerous lump, they may suggest additional tests such as x-rays to check if the tumour has spread to other body parts.
What is done to prepare for surgery?
Lumps that are bothering your pet, growing and interfering with your pet’s movement or those that are malignant are best removed surgically as soon as possible. Surgical removal of a lump needs to be performed with your pet under a general anaesthetic, which puts your pet into a state of unconsciousness.
Under general anaesthetic, your pet is effectively asleep and cannot feel pain. Once asleep, a tube is placed into their windpipe so that their breathing can be controlled and monitored. Your pet will be placed onto a table and the area of hair around their lump will be shaved. You may wonder why such a large area of hair needs to be removed; this is to ensure the area is clean and sterile. Inadequate clipping may result in hair becoming trapped in the wound. Causing the development of an infection which will also delay the healing process. The skin is then scrubbed clean with surgical soap. A sterile drape with a window is placed over the affected area, ready for the surgeon to make an incision.
What happens during surgery?
The surgeon will typically make an oval incision around the lump to ensure that the skin edges come together nicely when stitched. The size of the wound your pet has depends on the size and nature of the lump. It may be larger than you imagined. Smaller lumps generally have smaller wounds whilst malignant lumps require larger incisions to ensure complete removal of the tumour.
Occasionally, large margins may result in the surgeon being unable to close the wound with the remaining skin. If this happens, it might be necessary to perform skin grafts or flaps. This involves using skin from another area of the body. At the end of the procedure, the incision will be closed with stitches, in two or three layers. The inner (muscle) layer first, then the middle (fat) layer and finally the outer (skin layer). The number of layers will depend on how deep the tumour is located and the type of tumour.
Once the lump is removed your vet may recommend that it is sent to the lab for further analysis. This is to confirm the diagnosis and to also assess the edges of the sample to ensure the lump has been removed entirely. Your pet will have been given pain relief during the procedure. Once completed they will recover under the close supervision of the veterinary team.
What happens after surgery?
Depending on the type of surgery and your pet’s recovery, it may be necessary to keep your pet in the hospital for a night or two.
When it is time for your pet to go home, your vet will provide you with specific instructions. Your pet will be given pain killers and any additional medication deemed necessary by your vet. It is important to follow all the instructions closely to reduce the risk of complications.
You should monitor the wound daily for any bleeding, swelling or discharge and contact your vet should this happen. It is important to prevent your pet from licking its wound. Use an anti-licking device such as an Elizabethan collar (the dreaded ‘cone of shame’). Ensure your pet is well-rested to give it the best chance of a speedy recovery.
Your vet will schedule a post-operative check one to two days after discharge to see how your pet is doing. Your vet will schedule another appointment approximately 10-14 days after the surgery to remove any stitches (if necessary).
If you are unsure about anything or concerned about the recovery of your pet at home. You should contact your vet as soon as possible.
Discussion
I has a a 1 yr old catahoula leopard / pit mix she was fixed after her first heat and couple months later I noticed a red lump on her back leg and one on her lower abdomen so I took her in vet he gave her shot In the one on her leg but said he wasn’t worried out the one on her abdomen the next week i went bk and he gave ger another shot in the leg and that spot went away but he never did anything with the one on her abdomen a few months went by and i noticed the one on her belly was getting larger. And was now two lumps one on each side So again we went bk to the vet .sue weighted 70 IBS And they gave me antibiotic we went bk the next week sge was at 61 lbs again they gave me more antibiotic I called them and told them the antibiotic were nut working at all it was getting worse looked like it was bruised and it had red patches they said to continue the antibiotics so I did it finally was so bad she was in alot of pain finally they decided to remove the lump which I thought it was going to be the largest lump caus she couldn’t lay down she was very uncomfortable but when We went bk she was at 55 lbs and theyremoved the smaller lump and I went to pick her up they told me I had brought her in. Mess unsure what they meant when I looked she had red bumps alll over her body and I asked what iit was they told me I brought her in that condition but some of it may be an allergic reaction from where they shaved her and in a panic crying I asked again what it was all over her they said they didnt know they had removed only the small lump so she was still very uncomfortable and the larg lump was just so red and awful she was in even more pain and so uncomfortable I immediately took her to another vet where they told me that they had cut on her and her cancer has spread and it wasn’t going to get any better. She dies a few weeks later what can I do about this the damage had been done my dog was still uncomfortable she had new tumors all over her body and later died less than a month I asked the vet why did they wait 4 month to address to do anything about it it was very sma whe bi first took her in and they told me do u think it would of made a Difference i said i thought time was everything with cases like this sbe said b nit wouldn’t have me that it wouldn’t have but why did they tell me I took her in in a mess when none of the bumps were on her untill they cut on her why didn’t they tell me what it was or that hit was cancer why didnt they send off a biopsy which i didnt know needed to he done till the other vet said something about it should of been done first why didn’t they do blood work or something they didmt tell me what was really going on ever do most gets just cute into a dog when they dont know what it is cause if they did they didnt tell me but then then to make me feel like i did something wrong when it spread from them cutting on it what should I do about this
I’m afraid I can’t answer the question of why this happened. Certainly it’s unusual to see a large mass and not to talk about biopsies – or even to remove the mass and then send it away for pathology to find out what it was.
I think you did exactly the right thing to get a second opinion from another vet; however, as you saw, some tumours can spread really fast, and it might not have made any difference. Without knowing the type of tumour or its grading, there’s no way to know for sure.
I do not know what your country’s rules are on this, but if you want to complain, that would be a reasonable course of action – complain in writing first to the practice. If they are not able to explain or you still have concerns, then there is presumably a regulator who you could go to.
I am so sorry for your loss, though, and I wish you all the best.
Hi my Dalmatian has had 5 lumps removed three days ago most are healing but one on the lower chest seems swollen with fluid.it’s getting rather red coloured like bruising It’s Easter Sunday and alls closed down. Is this something to worry about? He seems very lively in himself and eating.
A bit of fluid build up on the lower chest after surgery isn’t unusual; I wouldn’t say it’s an emergency if he seems AOK in himself
Is it possible to have the size of a lump reduced as opposed to fully removed? My St. Bernard has a large, hard lump on her side. When it was smaller, the bevy said they may need to remove a rib which we felt was too in invasive at her age (7) and for her size. It has grown significantly and I would like to reduce it to reduce the strain on her spine.
It is possible, it’s called an ablation procedure. However, it’s important to remember that there are some major problems with this surgery. Firstly, having removed part of a tumour, this can encourage more aggressive growth in the healing phase, as the chemical signals directing healthy tissues to multiply and repair around the surgery will have the same effect on the tumour cells. In addition, changes to blood flow following ablation are associated with more aggressive behaviour post-op in some tumours.
The second problem is linked, and involved the risk that incising into a tumour but not removing it entirely can encourage a previously focal tumour to spread through the blood or across tissue planes that it otherwise wouldn’t have done. Since any surgery like this requires a general anaesthetic, for most tumours, in most patients, most of the time, excision is the preferred option. I’d suggest having a chat to your vet about the risk factors, as it is possible that this particular mass could be ablated – but then I would follow the treating vet’s judgement. Good luck with her!
My 13 year old lab who weighs 104 lbs has hip issues has a large solid mass under his R leg that effects his ambulation but so does his hind legs. I had the mass looked at by his vet who said it is scar tissue or an inflammatory issue and doesn’t look like cancer. My question is if I decide to surgically remove the large mass, how will my dog walk? since he already has difficulty and is a large dog? Breaths heavy in the summer months and when he is nervous as well. Otherwise, very healthy. I understand without further evaluation, it is difficult for you to answer but tell me any advice you may have. Thank you.
If the mass is making it harder to walk, then removing it will probably help, at least in the medium term. 47kg (104lb) is very heavy for a Labrador, though, and I think it is likely that weight loss would help his movement and his hips, especially at that age! It would also make him a better candidate for surgery if, as I suspect, he’s carrying a little bit more weight than is really good for him! I’d have a chat about that with your vet as that seems to be a logical place to start; with regards to the lump, it’s impossible to say exactly how much of a problem it’s causing without a clinical exam, I’m afraid!
what if the lump was nothing serious the vet removed it and a year later its grown back, do i have to pay again , i mean the vet told me it should not grow back as he cut it all out of the muscle , but it has and bigger than before, so do i have to pay again i dont work have no insurance so struggling a lot
Yes, you would have to: biological systems aren’t like a car or a machine where the effects of an intervention are known and measured and highly predictable. This might be the same lump that has grown back, because one single cell was left. It might be a new lump that has formed in the same place. It might be something else unrelated. Either way, it needs looking at, but it doesn’t mean your vet did anything wrong.
Hello! A few months ago we rescued a stray. When we took him in he was thin, had a TON of ticks deep in his ears and on his body and fleas as well. He had green like discharge coming out of his eyes. And had a golf ball sized lump on the side of his neck. It was not firm to touch, more…squishy I guess you could say. It did not bother him at all to touch either.
We took him to the vet of course, he was neutered, had all the ticks in his ears removed. Treated for the ticks and fleas on his body and tested for heart worms. Our vet said the green discharge from eyes were from allergies and nothing to worry about, he was given a one time dose of medicine for that. The lump, he said he felt was nothing to worry about. He believed it was a result from being so infested with ticks/fleas and that it would eventually go away.
The lump did SUBSIDE. It was still always there but got down to a firm…marble size I would say.
Yesterday, we noticed this bump, out of no where grew! It’s back to the size of a golf ball and this time firm, not squishy. Our vet is closed today but I will be calling to make an appointment tomorrow. Until then I thought maybe I could get some sort of response.
Have you ever heard of anything like this before? Could it still be from allergies? He no longer has fleas or ticks, he’s now an inside dog. I wanna hope it’s nothing severe but it’s so easy to worry.
Thank you!
Allergies are unlikely to cause a solitary lump to come up like that. It seems more likely that there’s some sort of foreign body in there that his body is reacting to now he’s healthier; alternatively, it could be something nasty like a tumour, but until your vet takes a good look at it, and maybe a biopsy, it’s hard to know. Good luck!