You’re petting your cat or bathing your dog when—wait, what’s that?

Finding a lump or bump on your pet can be a worrisome experience, but don’t panic. Masses of all kinds, from harmless skin growths to malignant tumors, are fairly common. While most are benign, it’s always better to err on the side of caution by following these steps.

Are you seeing lumps, bumps or growths on your pet? No matter what you call them, masses of all kinds, from harmless skin growths to malignant tumors, are actually fairly common in our furry friends.

How Does Your Veterinarian Examine Lumps and Bumps?

While most masses are benign, we recommend examinations and fine needle aspirates for all new growths. This simple procedure allows the veterinarian to determine the nature of the growth by collecting a sample of cells and viewing them under a microscope.

While there is far more research performed for the benefit of humans than for pets, we know that much of the initial research into human disease and pharmaceuticals is performed using animals; therefore, we learn about them as a side effect.

In the veterinary field, many of the therapeutics we use to treat disease come from human medicine, at least initially. The treatment of cancer is no exception, and in fact, some cancer treatments derived from human medicine have worked well for animals. Others, however, have not.