Are you concerned about a lump on your dog? Contact our Windsor Vets right away for an appointment to examine the excess growth.
The treatment of lipomas varies based on each patient’s needs. Many dogs merely need monitoring as these masses are benign, and often do not go on to cause a problem for the pet. Pets may develop multiple lipomas in different areas of the body. If the lipoma is growing, is in a high motion area or is bothering the pet, surgery to remove it may be recommended. Following surgery, the mass should be submitted to the pathologist to determine the definitive diagnosis.
The oncology team at CARE is passionate and compassionate about treating dogs and cats who are battling cancer. If your primary vet diagnoses your pet with cancer, ask for a referral to CARE. We will work with you and your family vet to come up with the best course of treatment.
The only definitive way to determine if a mass is cancerous or benign is to have it examined by a veterinarian. If you find a new mass on our pet, please have you veterinarian evaluate it. To do so, your vet may perform a test called a fine needle aspirate. During this biopsy procedure, a veterinarian or veterinary technician will guide a small needle into the mass to collect some cells. The cells are then carefully spread on a slide and evaluated under a microscope. The vet may be able to diagnose the cells or s/he may send the slides to a veterinary pathologist for further evaluation.
Have you ever felt a lump under your dog’s skin? Quite commonly, masses develop in dogs. While the mass may be a benign fatty tumor, it may also be a cancerous lump. Less frequently, cats grow masses under the skin. However, if you discover one, it is much more likely to be cancer.
Generally speaking, cancerous tumors differ from benign tumors in that they are firmer, quickly growing and cannot be moved freely from other surrounding structures. Further, they may have an ulcerated surface
What Are the Symptoms of Lipomas in Dogs?
The most visible symptom of a lipoma is the formation of lumps or fatty tumors on dogs, which you can easily feel with your bare hands. The vet checks these lumps underneath your dogs skin where the fat is present.
The shape and texture of a lipoma vary from dog to dog. Some lipomas are round or oval, while the others can be irregular or more bulging. They can feel either “squishy” or “firm” in texture. Some lipomas are also firmly stuck in their places but can be moved around a little if they are not attached to the surrounding tissues.
Is this Lump Serious? 5 Steps to Know
A lipoma is a benign (noncancerous) tumor of fat in middle-aged or older dogs. Lipomas can grow anywhere on the dogs body, even inside their abdomen. But the most common growth is under their skin near the fat.
This condition is likely to happen more in overweight dogs as they age. Some lipomas are usually unnoticeable, while others can cause discomfort when your pet walks.Â
It is identified by the collection of fat cells on the outside or inside the dogs body. Lipomas usually grow on the pets abdomen, chest, or legs.
Some dogs dont have a lipoma in their entire life, while others can have multiple lipomas throughout their life.
When these tumors grow between the dogs muscle layers, the condition is known as an infiltrative lipoma. The malignant, or cancerous, form of lipoma is called liposarcoma. These tumors typically donât spread to other body parts.
Even so, a lipoma has no growth limits. A fast growing lipoma can affect a dogs blood supply and cause pain. Lipomas can also affect the daily activities of dogs, including their mobility.
A lipoma is different from a lymphoma. Lymphoma is a dangerous tumor of lymph nodes in canines, while lipomas are benign tumors.
All types of dog breeds are vulnerable to developing lipoma, but Doberman pinschers, Labrador retrievers, Cocker spaniels and Golden retrievers are more at risk for lipomas.
There is no specific cause for lipoma in dogs. Most health care professionals believe that cancers, including lipoma, are caused by different environmental and genetic factors combined.