Skin tumors are the most commonly seen tumors in canines and cats. This kind of tumor is diagnosed more frequently than other tumors in animals because they can be easily seen and partially because the skin is always bare to lots of tumor-causing elements in the environment. Solar radiation, chemicals, and viruses are a few things that cause skin tumors. Hormonal abnormalities and hereditary aspects also play a role in developing skin tumors. Let us know more about this condition and how your veterinary physician will treat them.
Types of Common Skin Tumors
Basal Cell Tumors
This tumor is usually benign in pet dogs and felines and is present on the head, ears, and neck. These tumors look like solitary, firm, dome-shaped elevated masses, typically ulcerated or hairless. The lumps stand out like stalks from the skin surface area. They are various in size, from less than 0.4 inches to more than 4 inches in diameter, and often dark in color. Although benign, they can be big and cause comprehensive ulceration and secondary soreness; they can also break the skin, causing the death of skin tissue, and drain pus.
These tumors are generally not bothersome; however, they run the risk of self-trauma and infection if they develop in a location that can be chewed or scratched. Your pet shouldn’t be allowed to scratch, bite, or lick these areas. Additionally, these tumors might grow without surgery, making surgical removal harder, which is why it’s best to have your veterinarian examine any abnormal growths or bumps as quickly as you notice them, a vet surgery in Douglasville GA, will be advised to remove this tumor. Less than 10% of basal cell tumors are malignant in research studies.
Histiocytomas
This tumor can typically be seen in younger pet dogs and cats, less than 3 1/2 years old; it can occur at any age, and it can be seen mainly in the head, ears, and limbs. The tumors look raised, solitary, usually hairless, sometimes multiple skin nodules or plaques, and sometimes ulcerated lumps that are movable.
Diagnosis is through the microscopic test for samples of the tumor cells from the fine needle biopsy. Though they’re considered ugly by most owners’ standards, these masses are benign, and whenever left untreated, they will still resolve within two to three months or less. It is considered a highly treatable skin mass. You can go online to the veterinarian’s website for more infomation about histiocytomas.
Lipomas and Liposarcomas
These tumors are benign tumors of fat and are common in canines and felines. Many lipomas combine with healthy fat tissue next to them, making it difficult to determine the edges of the tumors. Fine-needle aspiration is needed to exclude other tumors that mimic lipomas, such as mast cell tumors.
An animal owner shouldn’t ignore lipomas even if they are benign. Some tend to grow, and they might be indistinguishable from infiltrative lipomas or liposarcomas. Surgical removal can be a treatment for this. A dietary restriction like weight loss will be recommended several weeks before surgical treatment to make it not difficult for the surgeon to identify the tumor’s edges and remove it all.
These illnesses can be avoided when you are mindful of your pet’s health as a pet owner. A cat and dog wellness plan is essential, and so is a yearly physical check-up for the early detection of illnesses that will help to ensure a healthy life for your animal.
