Just as you are aware of changes to your own body, you should be attentive to changes that may involve your pet.  One very obvious change to dogs and sometimes cats is the development of lumps, most often as the pet ages.  On shorthaired animals they are often easy to see; however, with longer-coated animals, a pet massage is needed to discover the lumps.

If you do find any lumps, you should take your pet to your veterinarian.  If you have a cat, any skin lump is considered malignant until proven otherwise and must be removed immediately.  Lumps can be benign deposits of fat called lipomas; however, some can be malignant while others are not tumors at all, but cysts.

To determine if a tumor is malignant, I aspirate a few cells from the lump with a needle and syringe and examine the cells under the microscope.  Depending upon the size and location of the lump, often the tumor, whether malignant or benign can be removed with surgery.  As you would expect, it is important to examine and test the tumor as soon as it is discovered.

About 30 percent of all tumors found in dogs and cats occur on the skin.  The most common skin cancer in dogs is a mast cell tumor.  A mast cell tumor can range from benign to having various levels of malignancy.  A mast cell tumor has the potential to spread from the skin to other areas of the body.  Consequently, the animal should be evaluated for any spreading.  In such case we run certain blood tests, take x-rays and recommend an ultrasound examination of the abdomen.  Surgical removal of the tumor may solve the problem; however, radiation or chemotherapy is necessary if the tumor has spread.

Sometimes the lump is not a tumor at all, but rather is a cyst.  A cyst is a pocket that is filled with fluid that can range in color from clear to white or bloody.  Often, the cyst will grow to a certain size and then seem to disappear only to develop again later.  If this occurs the pet has probably bumped the cyst and caused it to rupture and drain.  As the opening heals it begins to fill with fluid again and the cycle repeats itself.  Normally, cysts do not heal, but must be surgically removed.  It is advisable to have it removed before it becomes infected which, as you would expect, can have more serious consequences.

The lesson here is to be observant of your pet and its physical condition.  It is more difficult for them to communicate with us, so we must be proactive and periodically examine them and watch for any changes.