Community | Ask The Vet

a lump under the skin

10.11.2006

hi,i would like to ask about a lump under the skin of my 5year old female mini pinscher . Is it a tumor or just a tick bite?! and if it is a tumor and need to be removed, how much it will cost?!




it would be great to be able to diagnose what this lump is from afar - sadly, it is a bit more tricky than that!

a physical examination ie looking at, and feeling the lump, will give us a chance to give an opinion. Often they are fatty and soft and of no concern. If they are freely moveable and not attached to the underlying tissues, that is a good sign that the lump can be successfully removed if needs be. Personally I never trust my instincts and test each lump by what we call 'fine needle aspiration' - this involves sticking a fine needle into the lump, sucking a bit out, and spreading it onto a microsope slide. If it looks oily, we can be 99% certain that it is a harmless fatty lump (lipoma) If not we will usually send the slide away to a specialist for interpretation.

How much does it cost? Every case is different. Also, I dont know if you are a client of ours or not - prices vary hugely across the country, and from vet practice to vet practice.

So, take you minipin to your vet and get the lump examined. Then and only then can further costs be discussed.




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