The best course of action to take sometimes isn’t clear until you’ve listed and considered your alternatives. The following paragraphs should help clue you in to what the experts think is significant.
You may not consider everything you just read to be crucial information about Types and Treatments. But don’t be surprised if you find yourself recalling and using this very information in the next few days.
When we find lumps on dogs there is a tendency to panic. The lump may have been there for some time and the dog may not be aware of it but we naturally think the worst and start to worry for our pet. This is a natural response as the very word ‘lump’ is often a euphemism for cancer but that is not always the case. Here we will look at the various types of lumps on dogs and what the vet will ask us about the dog. It is therefore important to closely observe your dog and it’s behavior before going along to the vet
When you take your dog to be checked over, your vet will ask you some questions. The vet will want to know how long the lump has been there, is it irritating the dog (appearing either itchy or painful) and whether the dog has had the lump a while and only just became aware of it. Also they will ask if the lump has changed in size and shape since you noticed it and if the dog’s behavior has changed at all since getting the lump. It is a good idea to observe these things closely leading up to the vet appointment so you can give accurate answers to these questions. Lets now take a look at all the possible causes for lumps on dogs.
Types of lumps on dogs:
Abscess. Usually occur near an injury or break in the skin and is a byproduct of the dogs immune system fighting infection. This is a benign lump.
Hematoma. Again found near injuries, these are lumps filled with blood showing a problem with the clotting of the blood.
Common Warts. Another benign type of lump, warts are small and resemble pimples or zits. They are common in older dogs and are easily treatable
Sebaceous Cysts. These are a very common and benign type of lump which are caused by the skin glands developing a slight abnormality. Easily treatable.
Lipoma. Fatty deposits which are only very rarely cancerous. They affect overweight dogs and older dogs and can grow quite large. If so, they will need to be removed by a vet.
Mast Cell Tumor. This is a malignant lump which is caused by the over production of a naturally occurring type of skin cell. Treatment will vary according to severity and the type and size of the dog.
Squamous Cell Carcinoma. A type of malignant lump common on short haired breeds. The lumps create a problem in the local area of the lump but do not generally spread further. Treatment will be surgery and/or chemotherapy.
When finding lumps on dogs it is important not to panic but to make sure that the lump is not a malignant one which will require immediate action. Vets will often say that, if a dog has a limpoma and it is not too big, not growing and not bothering the dog, just leave it and take action if anything changes. Obviously it is important to have the ‘nasties’ ruled out as soon as possible by a vet.
It is also important that you check your dog over yourself regularly, for the same reasons that you may do to screen yourself for breast or testicular cancer.
Sometimes it’s tough to sort out all the details related to this subject, but I’m positive you’ll have no trouble making sense of the information presented above.
Tags: dogs types, lumps on dogs