Can a vet tell what a pet's lump is without sending it to a lab?

Question

Do all growths removed in a biopsy need to be tested in the lab in order to determine what it is, or are some fairly obvious where the veterinarian or the surgeon can tell what it is? Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Medium (23 - 60lb) | Female | spayed | 11 years and 4 months old | 50 lbs

Jessica Keay, DVM · Accepted Answer

Thank you for your question. The answer is dependent on the growth found. The only growth that would commonly not be recommended for biopsy/that is more easily identified just based on visual appearance would be a lipoma, or fatty tumor https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=5233990 . Most other growths would be sent out unless a previous aspirate was done to determine the type of growth. Otherwise, it is not possible just by gross (with the naked eye) examination to determine the origin of a tumor.

Can a vet tell what a pet's lump is without sending it to a lab?

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