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Pet Article
CATS AND DOGS - LUMPS AND BUMPS!
Whilst having your daily petting session with your cat or dog, it's not uncommon to find a
lump or bump at some time or another. In most cases there is not need to panic but we would
recommend a trip to your veterinarian just as a precaution.
As our dogs and cats age, like people can develop warts and masses. The most common
time of life for tumors to begin to form is in middle age, around 5 years and older in
dogs and cats. Not all tumors mean your pet has cancer. Any animal, from the very young
to the very old, can develop a skin or subcutaneous growth. The majority of tumors being benign.
Sometimes these benign tumors need to be removed because they impinge on surrounding organs,
or are uncomfortable for our pets. Also, they could break open and cause infection,
therefore making it necessary for them to be removed.
Should you find a growth on your pet, get your veterinarian to check it out. Your
veterinarian will aspirate the mass, which means using a needle to collect a sample
of the cells inside. These will then be looked at a microscope to determine what kind of
tumor it is and if it is malignant or benign. Cats are less prone than dogs are to developing
skin and subcutaneous tumors, but both types of pets will need veterinary care for a growth.
Benign tumors do not spread to other organs or tissues. They can, though, grow in size.
Benign tumors do not need to be removed unless they are crowding another structure. A
benign tumor that is growing near the eye will probably need to be removed. Some
owners opt to remove benign tumors purely for cosmetic reasons.
Many dogs get lipomas as they age. A lipoma is a fatty tumor that feels like a soft
mass. It is common in older animals. No treatment is usually necessary unless it is
causing problems.
Unfortunately some tumors are malignant (cancerous). If your veterinarian thinks
a mass may be malignant, more diagnostic tests will to be done. These tumors can and
usually do spread to other organs, causing problems throughout the body. Where the
tumor will spread depends on the type of tumor. Treatment for malignant tumors is usually by
surgery. The removal of a tumor is followed by either chemotherapy or radiation.
Radiation therapy is recommended when not all of the tumor can be removed surgically.
Chemotherapy is used when there is a high risk that the tumor will spread to other parts
of the body. Chemotherapy drugs used are usually administered orally or intravenously.
Dogs and cats are treated with the same medications used in human cancer treatment.
In cats, tumors may grow where there has been a recent injection, like after your annual
vaccination visit. You should watch the injected area in case bumps develop. If the lump is
bigger than 2 cm or persists for longer than 30 days, go back to your veterinarian. This
reaction to vaccines can occur in small numbers of animals. Cats are more
prone than dogs to have a bump at a vaccination site. This doesn't mean you should
not vaccinate; just be aware that there is a small chance a tumor will form.
Mark Woodcock
1 Flea Control
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