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Pet Article
PET MAINTENANCE
As dogs age they may be prone to get wart like bumps or fatty lumps under their skin. Most often
these lumps and bumps prove to be benign, but like any lump or bump they should not be ignored.
Cats do not normally get benign tumors with age, a tumor in a cat is likely to be malignant.
As a pet owner you should make a habit of looking for irregularities on your pets whilst petting
and grooming them. In dogs and cats the most common sites for tumors are the skin, mouth,
mammary glands and lymph nodes. You should always be aware of any changes in your pets
attitude and appetite.
Any dog or cat over the age of 7 should visit their veterinarian once a year for a physical
examination, blood count, chemistry panel and urinalysis. All of these will help to detect
any internal problems that would otherwise go unnoticed.
Your veterinarian, by using a syringe and needle can aspirate (withdraw by suction) some of
the cells from a tumor on your pet. The cells can then be examined under a microscope to
determine whether or not the tumor is malignant. If the cells do not cleanly fit either the
benign or the malignant category, then your veterinarian may recommend removing the tumor for
a biopsy.
Any new lumps or bumps you might find should always be examined immediately by your
veterinarian. The lumps or bumps which cause the most concern are the ones that tend to grow
fast, change size or shape over weeks, ooze or break open, firm or tightly fixed in the body
tissue or are abnormally coloured, like melanomas. These are the tumors which are more than
likely to be malignant. A dog could have as many as 20 wart like lumps, but only one could
be malignant. That one can only be found by aspirating them all. All benign tumors should be
monitored by owners and examined annually by your veterinarian.
If a cancerous tumor is discovered early, options for treatment will be greater and your pet
will have a better chance of recovery. Later in the course of the disease, options become
limited and treatment is more difficult.
For more information on maintaining the health of your pet, contact your local veterinarian.
Mark Woodcock
1 Flea Control
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