Lumps and Bumps

My greyhound, Rocky, is in his senior years but acts young. Because he is over 11 years old, every little skin irritation, bump, stutter in his walk - anything - gets a lot of attention from me. Last week I noticed a skin rash that looked to be bacterial, so off to the vet we went. While examining Rocky, the vet noticed a tumor on the base of his tail, about the size of a large grape and very vascular. His first guess was an adenoma. It would have to be surgically removed, meaning poor Rocky was going back to the vet for an operation the day after Christmas. Anesthesia is tough on a greyhound to begin with, never mind the fact he's 11. Plus that meant no Christmas table scraps after 7pm. :(

Well the results were back today and I'm happy to report that it was a benign adenoma and the prognosis is good. But of course I had to read more on the subject, and picked an article for my readers to get more information...

There are very few surprises that will startle you more than discovering a lump or bump on your dog. As your hand wanders over your canine pal in affectionate scratching or petting, your fingers just may chance upon a lump that “was not there before”. Guaranteed… it will scare the biscuits out of you. With that nagging “C” word drifting about the back of your mind, your first fear is that your dog might have cancer. Setting in motion your search for an answer as to what this lump is you make a quick trip to the veterinarian for an exam.

“How long has this been here?” the doctor asks.  “Just found it yesterday, doctor,” you respond.

“Let’s see if we can find any others,” says the doctor as experienced and sensitive hands work the dog over.  Sure enough, “Here’s another one just like it!” says the doctor as she places your hand right over the small, round, moveable soft mass under the skin of the dog’s flank. 

“I think these are what we call Lipomas, just fat deposits under the skin.  They are very common and usually present no problems” says the doctor.  Your relief at hearing the good news is cut short as the doctor continues…

“However, we honestly do not know what these lumps truly are unless we examine some cells under the microscope.  So I’d suggest that we do a simple needle biopsy, place some cells on a slide and send the slides to a veterinary pathologist for a definite diagnosis.”

The doctor in this case is being thorough and careful.  How true it is that a definitive diagnosis of “what it is” simply cannot be made without microscopic examination of the lump’s cells.  A veterinary specialist in pathology is the final authority and judge when it comes to shedding light on these lumps and bumps that we too often find on our canine pals. 

The Lipoma is one of the most commonly encountered lumps seen by veterinarians during a physical exam. These soft, rounded, non-painful masses, usually present just under the skin but occasionally arising from connective tissues deep between muscles, are generally benign. That is they stay in one place, do not invade surrounding tissues and do no metastasize to other areas of the body.  They grow to a certain size and just sit there in the tissues and behave themselves. Most lipomas do not “have” to be removed. Occasionally, though, lipomas will continue to grow into huge fat deposits that are a discomfort to the dog and present a surgical challenge to remove. And even more rarely, some lipomas will be malignant and spread throughout the dog’s body. And therein lies the true challenge in dealing with lumps and bumps on dogs… we simply cannot predict with 100% accuracy just what  any of these foreigners will do. So we do the best we can by removing them when indicated or keeping a close guard over them so that at the first sign of change they can be removed.

Not every lump or bump on your dog will be a tumor. Some superficial bumps are due simply to plugged oil glands in the skin, called sebaceous cysts. Skin cysts can be composed of dead cells or even sweat or clear fluid; these often rupture on their own, heal, and are never seen again. Others become chronically irritated or infected and should be removed… and checked by a pathologist just to be sure of what they are. Some breeds, especially the Cocker Spaniel, are prone to developing sebaceous cysts. And yes, the sebaceous glands in the skin do occasionally develop into tumors called sebaceous adenomas. According to Richard Dubielzig, DVM, of the University of Wisconsin, School of Veterinary Medicine, “Probably the most commonly biopsied lump from dog skin is a sebaceous adenoma. This does not mean it is the most commonly occurring growth, just that it is most commonly biopsied.” Fortunately this type of skin growth rarely presents trouble after being surgically removed.

So how are you to know which lumps and bumps are dangerous and which can be left alone?  Truthfully, you are really only guessing without getting the pathologist involved.  Most veterinarians take a conservative approach to the common lipomas and remove them if they are growing rapidly or are located in a sensitive area. But caution needs to be observed because even the common lipoma has an invasive form called an infiltrative lipoma. However, when a nasty looking, reddened, rapidly growing mass is detected growing on the gum, for example, aggressive action is indicated.  Keep in mind that not all lumps and bumps are cancerous, and some are fairly innocent and do not warrant immediate surgery.

Comments

[jim]

this was a very helpful article.