Introduction

Most pet owners will find a lump on their dog at some point in time. While these masses may be harmless, sometimes they masses are malignant, dangerous and require prompt medical attention.

Treatment Options

The options for treating - or at least for managing - skin tumors depends entirely upon the cause of the tumor. For example, benign fatty masses (lipomas) rarely require treatment, other than perhaps for cosmetic reasons if they bother the owner or are in a location that bothers the dog. Many owners decide to have lipomas removed because they do not like the look or feel of them on their dogs.

Most veterinarians recommend that malignant skin masses be removed at the first opportunity. Aggressive surgical resection, with wide margins around the tumor site, is typically the treatment of choice. The removed tissue will be submitted to a pathology laboratory to assess whether all of the tumor cells associated with the mass have been removed. If it appears that malignant cells extend close to the surgical margins, a second surgery may be necessary. Radiographs (X-rays) may be recommended to determine whether cancerous cells have spread to nearby lymph nodes or to other areas, particularly to the bone marrow and/or lungs. Blood tests typically will be conducted as well as part of treatment to assess the dog’s overall health and response to treatment.

In many cases, radiation and/or chemotherapy treatments will be used in addition to or in lieu of surgical resection to improve the success rate – especially when wide surgical margins cannot be achieved. Owners must recognize that tumors can recur post-operatively, despite whatever heroic treatment efforts are taken by the veterinary team. Regular rechecks are important for dogs with malignant skin tumors, even after they are treated.

Prognosis

As with diagnostic and treatment protocols, the prognosis for dogs with lumps and bumps on their skin depends entirely upon the cause of those masses. A veterinary oncologist (cancer specialist) or dermatologist (skin specialist) may be consulted for advanced diagnostic and treatment protocols.