My old dog has a shoulder lump. Is it a benign cyst or cancer?

Related Answers from Veterinarians

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  Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

  Veterinarian

  Published on February 23rd, 2019

  In a senior dog, there is always a chance a lump could be malignant. Any suspicious lumps should be examined by the vet. The vet can perform a test called a fine needle aspirate on it. To do this, the vet sticks a small needle into the lump to get a sample of its cells, and examines the cells on a slide under a microscope. It's usually painless to the animal, and relatively quick to perform. Once the cause of the lump is diagnosed, the vet can discuss treatment options if needed. I would take Charlie into a vet on Monday. Best of luck.

  

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  Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

  Veterinarian

  Published on December 25th, 2021

  Given Jellybean's age, there is always a chance that any lump could be a malignant growth (cancer), and it is concerning that it has gotten bigger. It could also just be a wart or another type of benign growth, or a cyst. Any suspicious lumps should be examined by the vet. The vet can perform a test called a fine needle aspirate on it. To do this, the vet sticks a small needle into the lump to get a sample of its cells, and examines the cells on a slide under a microscope. It's usually painless to the animal, and relatively quick to perform. Once the cause of the lump is diagnosed, the vet can discuss treatment options if needed. This is not an emergency so you don't have to take her into the vet this weekend. I would have her seen next week. I hope this helps!

  

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  Answered By Dr. Massimo Orioles, DVM, Cert AVP, MRCVS

  Veterinarian

  Published on June 15th, 2018

  This kind of lump/growth needs to be ideally assessed by your veterinarian to have a definitive and specific answer. Usually there are two ways your vet can do that a part from examining it directly during physical examination. A biopsy can be taken under local or general anesthetic, otherwise a smaller sample through a fine needle can be aspirated (this technique is called FNA= fine needle aspiration). Differentials include skin cysts, infections, benign or more sinister type of tumors (unlikely given her age). Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

  

  1Pet Parents found this answer helpful