Case Story: Handsome Hugh…
Hugh is an extremely handsome 1 year old Flat-Coated Retriever who had a fast growing, itchy lump on his left elbow appear suddenly.
It looked reddened, sore and was bothering him. He seemed completely fine in himself otherwise but wouldn’t leave the new lump alone.
Lumps on our pets can be assessed during a consultation, and we can get clues as to what they are likely to be, but sampling the lump is the only way to determine what type of lump it is. This can be done via a Fine Needle Aspirate (FNA) or via a Biopsy. The advantages of an FNA are that it can be easily performed during the consult, usually no sedation is needed, and it can help to determine if surgical removal is needed and to plan the procedure if so. However, the results are sometimes inconclusive and may not be the best option to sample the lump with a needle.
A biopsy is where a section of the lump is removed for diagnosis. The advantages are it is far more likely to give conclusive results and more information about the type of lump can be obtained e.g. how aggressive the disease is. The disadvantages are sedation or an anaesthetic is needed, and it is a more expensive procedure.
Hugh’s lump objectively looked like it could be either a Histiocytoma (a benign growth that regresses after a few months) or a Mast Cell Tumour (A malignant, aggressive cancer). Both can appear similar. Unfortunately, Hugh’s breed is far more at risk of developing certain types of cancers, and so we made the decision alongside Hugh’s owners to go ahead with removal. This allowed us to remove the lump quickly and send the whole lump off for diagnosis via histopathology.
Hugh came in for his procedure in the morning on an empty tummy for his pre-op bloods and assessment to check he was okay for his anaesthetic. His lump was removed under general anaesthetic and closed with both internal and external sutures. He had a very snazzy bodysuit to stop him licking the wound and was home the same afternoon with some pain relief medication.
Despite being a super bouncy gentleman, healing went very well overall and he was up to his usual antics within 10-14 days. During the healing process, the results thankfully came back as a Benign Histiocytoma and so removal was curative!
If you notice a new lump on your Pet, it is always best to have it checked by a Vet as early intervention is key.
