Oncological Surgery, Mass Removal

Why does my pet develop lumps?

Sadly, just like humans, all pets can develop a lump. Some benign lumps are inflammatory due to infection or immune-mediated response; others develop due to spontaneous mutations in cell development. Depending on the mutated cell type and how it has mutated, this may be benign or malignant. Malignant growths may invade surrounding tissue and spread to lymph nodes or other organs via lymphatics or blood.

How do I know if the lump is benign or not?

Your veterinary surgeon will likely recommend some tests before removing any lump. This may involve taking needle samples (fine needle aspirates) or biopsies to send to the laboratory to determine whether the lump is benign. They may also recommend blood tests and further imaging (such as CT, x-rays or ultrasound) to determine if the lump is impacting the rest of the body or if there is any evidence that it has spread.

What does surgery involve?

This will depend on the location, the type of lump, and the surgery goal. Many lumps (particularly malignant ones) spread microscopically wider than can be seen or felt. This means that depending on the type of lump, your surgeon may plan to remove an area of visibly “healthy” tissue around it (also called a “margin”) to minimise the chance of recurrence. Once the mass and planned surrounding tissue has been removed, the wound is closed. If the wound is small, it may be closed simply with stitched beneath the surface and in the skin. If large as is the case is some malignant lump removals, the wound may require a variety of possible reconstructive techniques (such as advancement flaps and axial pattern flaps) to use nearby skin to close the wound.

What is the recovery likely to involve?

Your veterinary surgeon will discuss the specific requirements for your pet depending on the surgery involved. However, it is likely to involve a few weeks of rest with short lead walks only, pain killers to keep them comfortable, and a shirt or Elizabethan collar to avoid your pet from traumatising the wound. A wound check generally takes place 10-14 days after surgery when any sutures in the skin are likely to be able to be removed. During recovery, it is important that you contact your local practice if you have any concerns regarding the wound, comfort, or your pets’ general health.

What happens next?

The lump is sent to a laboratory where it is analysed. This will provide very useful information about what sort of lump it is, which determines whether it is likely to come back or if monitoring for spread is indicated. It also gives an idea as to whether the entire lump has been removed on a microscopic level. Depending on all these findings, your veterinary surgeon may recommend no further treatment, monitoring, or further treatment (either in house or referral to a specialist in oncology) to reduce the likelihood of recurrence or spread to other parts of the body.