Introduction
Most pet owners sooner or later find an unexplained bump or lump on their dog. While many of these bumps turn out to be harmless, sometimes these lumps or bumps can be an actual tumor that has developed on the dog’s skin.
A veterinarian will be able to determine if the bump is just a pimple, cyst, or abscess, or if the bump could be a possible skin tumor. If there is a question of what the bump could be, then the veterinarian will perform a procedure called a fine needle aspiration biopsy. During this procedure a needle is inserted into the bump, some of the fluids inside the bump are drawn, and then these fluids are examined under a microscope.
Benign Tumors
Skin tumors that consist merely of fat are easily identifiable under a microscope. Often the treatment for these skin tumors is up to the pet owner. Many fat tumors, or lipomas, just look a little odd, and they are only removed if they grow to the extent where they bother the dog. However many pet owners have lipomas removed anyway because it is distressing to see a lump on their dog.
Malignant Tumors
Skin tumors which show malignancy or cancer are removed at once. This requires surgery to remove the tumor, and wide areas of healthy skin surrounding the tumor are removed to ensure that the cancer does not spread. Some types of skin tumors on dogs, particularly mast cell tumors, can be extremely aggressive. If these types of tumors are detected, additional blood tests will be performed to ensure that the cancer did not spread to the organs or blood marrow. In cases where the cancer has progressed, radiation therapy is used in addition to removing the tumor; this type of treatment often has a high success rate even for advanced cancers. Mast cell tumors can occur again, and dogs diagnosed and treated for this condition need to be frequently checked thereafter for any new bumps.