My dog has a lump that's grown in a week. Should I see a vet?

Related Answers from Veterinarians

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  Answered By David Elbeze, DVM, MRCVS

  Veterinarian

  Published on March 31st, 2017

  Any growth needs to be checked and analysed as there are many conditions and types of tumors that could look like that. take Coco to the vet, they will perform a fine needle aspiration on the growth and send it to the lab for analysis. when the result comes, the vet will advise what needs to be done according to the diagnosis.

  

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  Answered By Dr. Heidi DVM, CVA, CCRT, CVTP, CVSMT, CVCH

  Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist, Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner

  Published on January 19th, 2018

  Anytime a new mass is noticed, I always recommend having it evaluated to see what it is and if anything needs to be done about it. Unfortunately, we can't tell anything about a mass by just looking at it. Even when it feels like a lipoma, it can sometimes fool us. Your vet can perform a simple test called a fine needle aspirate where they use a small needle to collect some cells from the mass, then look at them under the microscope. They may even need to send the cells to the lab for a pathologist to examine them, so we know what the mass is. If it is benign lipoma, you might not need to do anything about the mass at all, but if they see cells that worry them, they might recommend removing the mass. It is common for lipomas to grow slowly over time, but they should always be re-examined if they are growing quickly or changing texture. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

  

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  Answered By Daniel Fonza, DVM

  Veterinarian

  Published on November 27th, 2017

  Hi there and thank you for using Pet Coach to address your concerns. From the picture and your description, I would be concerned about this mass being cancerous. If your veterinarian has not done any testing on this mass I would suggest having this done. A test called a fine needle aspiration can be done to help better determine what the mass could be. This test entails the vet inserting a small needle into the mass and looking at the cells under the microscope to help determine what the mass could be. With its appearance and the fact that it has fluctuated in size, I am concerned about this being a cancerous tumor such as a mast cell tumor. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns.

  

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  Answered By Destini R. Holloway, DVM

  Veterinarian

  Published on July 3rd, 2017

  I am not sure where on the body this is located, however because of the color of this mass I would be concerned that it could be cancerous, especially if it has been a persistent mass for more than a week or two. I would highly recommend taking Buffy in to your vet to have this mass removed and sent off for analysis so that it is properly identified so that we know if this is definitively cancer or not. I hope Buffy is ok and also that you are able to get good results on this mass. Best wishes and take care.

  

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