We all love cuddle sessions with our pets, brushing their coats, giving belly rubs, or simply just affectionately stroking their heads makes our hearts happy and fulfilled. It might be a rare case scenario to observe some bump or lumps in the dog. It is, however, a common occurrence in middle-aged to elderly dogs. Are lumps in dogs natural? Are they cancerous? What exactly should we expect and observe in such cases? Let us have a closer look at lumps and bumps in skin and some FAQs regarding them.
What is a normal v/s abnormal skin bump?
As a pet owner, you may observe bumps on your pets’ skin at least once in your life. Sometimes, the reason behind a bump formation could be very vague and unexpected. It could be due to an allergic response or due to an infection such as dermatitis. Some puppies might have excessive tissue growth in some parts of their bodies, which are commonly termed as Nevus or mole and is not at all abnormal. It is commonly observed in all species regardless of age and is not dangerous. Let us have a glance at the types of bumps that one can observe. Other commonly encountered bumps are-
1. Cyst:
These are the small growth on the skin and a sac-like pocket of membranous tissue that contains fluid, air, or other substances. They can grow anywhere on your pets’ bodies or under the skin. The most common cause of being blocked is sebaceous glands. Sebaceous glands secrete oil on the skin surface for protection and lubrication of hair and skin of mammals. Therefore, any reason causing the blockage of these glands can be manifested as a bump on the skin and is usually not dangerous.
2. Abscess:
Abscess are bumps on the skin which usually are formed due to pus-forming bacteria and usually follow any penetrating wounds on the skin surface due to the introduction of foreign bacterial particles. These are often treated with antibiotics along with other needed therapies.
3. Dermatitis:
Dermatitis can flare up in cases of infections or non-infectious allergic events such as flea-associated dermatitis, etc. in case of mixed bacterial and fungal skin infection, there might be bumps observed on the skin with associated alopecia, itching, and fur loss. In these cases, too, one can occasionally observe bumps on the skin and are again curable by medical treatment.
4. Lipomas:
These are small raised, bumps on skin and lumps in dogs containing fat and can be surgically excised or can be left untouched as they are benign. It is also essential to have these lipoma bumps tested at the earliest, just to be certain.
5. Allergens:
Due to the foreign allergenic antigen being introduced into the skin, there is a bump formation due to localized reaction by inflammatory cells and edema formation, for example, a bee sting. If your pet gets stung by a bee, there is a local lesion with edema and bump formation. The cure depends on a case-to-case basis. Sometimes, these bumps subside on their own or can be massaged by ice packs. Whereas in severe cases, your pet may show an allergic response to a bee sting, and immediate medical assistance is warranted. If left as it is, these bumps usually subside within a few hours to a day.
6. Warts:
These are small-sized, cauliflower-like-looking bumps that are caused by a virus known as the papillomavirus. They occur most often in pets with weak immune systems and are commonly found in puppies as they are in their growth phase having a weaker immune system. The papillomavirus-related growths can be surgically excised or left as is since in some cases, these growths can disappear on their own based on the immune response.
These growths can be medically treated by WARTGO DROPS for pets. It is the best homeopathic remedy for treating conditions of Warts on any part of the body with exceptional improvement in papilloma conditions. It cures the spread of papillomavirus symptoms in any part of the body. WARTGO DROPS for PETS is an excellent remedy that reduces the Papilloma infection in the body and removes warts fast.
Are all lumps on dogs cancerous?
Well, no, not all growths or lumps in a dog's body are cancerous. Lumps and bumps can be of different types. Cancerous bumps have a different mechanism of function whereas non-cancerous bumps are more frequently encountered daily. It's best to be checked via diagnostic procedures at the earliest. Detection of these dog lumps at the earliest provides a good prognostic outcome and mostly bumps if deemed cancerous can be surgically treated (+/- chemotherapy) thereby reducing its chances of spreading [metastasizing].
You may raise suspicion on the growth to be cancerous if you observe the following:
1. Your dog is middle-aged or elderly
2. If your dog has concurrent signs such as dullness/anorexia which warrants for diagnostic tests to rule out different diseases
3. If your dogs’ ancestors/parents/siblings have had a history of cancer
4. If these bumps are increasing in size
5. If these bumps are diffuse or located on different parts of the body
6. If there is any change in shape/size/color/consistency of these lumpy growths
7. For lumps on mammary glands, there is always a chance for it to be cancerous
Cancerous lumps can be of the following types:
1. Liposarcoma:
Lipoma on one hand is a benign raised mass, on the flip side; a liposarcoma is malignant or cancerous. liposarcoma is a rare type of cancer that develops in your fatty tissue. Therefore, any bumps should be tested right away.
2. MCT [Mast Cell Tumour]:
MCT usually can be observed at any site and is frequently observed in older patients. It is associated with the mast cells present in our body.
3. Adenocarcinoma:
These tumors are associated with glands. Mammary Adenocarcinoma for once is associated with the mammary glands and is observed on the abdomen usually singular in nature (in early or benign cases) or multiple in cases of disease progression. It is linked to hormones and spaying is considered to be a preventive measure against the same. Anal Gland Adenocarcinoma too can be frequently encountered which is associated with the anal glands of dogs.
4. Squamous Cell Carcinoma:
This type of cancer is most commonly observed on pets and is frequently seen in the abdomen region, legs, head, etc. They resemble warts and are cancerous.
How do you differentiate between cancerous v/s non-cancerous growths?
Your veterinarian may prescribe tests such as FNAC or fine-needle aspiration cytology. In this test, a needle is inserted into the growth and then, the aspirate is placed on glass slides which are further stained and observed under a microscope by a veterinary pathologist who observes the cells, morphology, and features of the aspirate and then concludes the growth to be cancerous or not. This test is widely practiced to figure out the cancer status of lumps in the dog.
The other method is via excision biopsy wherein the entire lump is surgically removed and sent for histopathology testing which then observes and confirms the cancer status.
Whereas in case growth is observed on the mammary glands in adult non-spayed female dogs, there’s always a higher chance for these growths to come off as malignant or cancerous, however, they might be benign as well. For adult non-spayed cats, there is a 90% chance for these growths to come back as malignant. Hence, it’s always a great option to get these lumps checked by a veterinarian at the earliest.
THE MEDICINAL ROAD OUT: HOMEOPATHY FOR WART-LIKE GROWTHS
As we now know, not every bump is dangerous nor is every lump cancerous, with better technologies and advanced diagnostics, it is now possible to assess, test and treat better. For cases such as warts associated with the papillomavirus, wartgo for pets is the best homeopathy remedy for treating conditions of Warts on any part of the body with exceptional improvement in papilloma conditions. It cures the spread of papilloma-virus symptoms in any part of the body.
When in doubt, always take a step further, get your pets checked frequently especially when they are older, diagnosing and treating at the earliest phase of disease progression can tremendously help your pets’ in the long run.
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