Diseases·5 April 2026·4 min read
Lumps and Bumps: When to Worry
Most lumps are benign. Some are not. Here is the framework we use.
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What we notice
- Size and growth rate - fast-growing always concerning
- Texture - soft and movable vs firm and fixed
- Surface - intact skin vs ulcerated
- Pain - most cancers painless, infections painful
The any-lump-deserves-a-needle rule
Fine-needle aspirate (FNA) takes 30 seconds, costs little, and tells us 70%+ of the time whether to worry.
Common benign lumps
- Lipoma (fatty lump, soft, movable)
- Sebaceous cyst
- Histiocytoma
- Skin tag, wart
Common malignant lumps
- Mast cell tumour (MUST be aspirated)
- Soft tissue sarcoma
- Mammary tumour (intact females especially)
- Squamous cell carcinoma
Map your pet lumps with photo + measurement once a year. Bring any new or changing lump for a needle aspirate the same week.
Frequently asked
Mild - most pets do not need sedation. Quick procedure.
Not always. Discuss size, location, growth rate. Sometimes monitoring is reasonable.
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