Lumps & Bumps
Many animals develop lumps or “masses”, particularly as they become older. They are one of the most common reasons pets are presented for examination to the vet clinic.
Some lumps are benign (not harmful) and others can be malignant (spread either locally or to other parts of the body).
A lump is just a lump until we look at it under the microscope.
Unfortunately, it isn’t possible to determine the nature of a lump without microscopically examining the cells that comprise it. We can make educated guesses, but cannot be certain without further testing. During a consultation we can do a Fine Needle Aspirate (FNA) which involves putting a very fine needle into the lump, drawing out some cells and having them microscopically examined. This doesn’t involve an anaesthetic or sedation, but has limitations. Some lumps do not “shed” cells easily, so results can be inconclusive, or the lump can have multiple pockets made up of different cell types and malignancy can be missed.
However, FNA can be very good at helping determine if surgery is required and indicate the surgical margins we need to strive for to get complete excision of the mass. Some masses require surgical biopsy under sedation or General Anaesthetic, whilst with other lumps, we elect to remove completely.
Histopathology on tissue samples gives us the most accurate information on the nature of the lump, and the cost of the removal procedure itself ranges depending on the size of the lump and the health and age of the animal (for anaesthetic safety reasons).
Some clients choose to monitor lumps for changes and revisit if needed. Clients have very different levels of concern about lumps in their animals, and each client will make different decisions depending on this.
We are always happy to discuss the options for your pet and the best pathway for your circumstance.