My dog has a growth. What's the best way to get it diagnosed?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This could be a benign or malignant growth. This is often differentiated by a test called a fine needle aspirate (FNA) which is a pain free, inexpensive and easy procedure which in most cases will help reach a diagnosis. This may be enough to diagnose her growth. Sometimes a biopsy is needed for a definitive diagnosis. I recommend that you have her evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. I am really hoping for something benign. Good luck and have a good day!

There is something called a cytology where a sample of cells can be sent to the lab to try and get an answer before a biopsy. This could be done before for sure going under anesthesia to remove them. Without some kind of sampling, it is impossible to tell what they are unfortunately. Good luck

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. I would recommend having this surgically removed and then send out the actual tissue sample for a definitive diagnosis. The test to have the slide interpreted and also to have the tissue sample interpreted are the exact same cost typically or very close in price, which is typically over $300. Why spend that much to have a slide interpreted when you can just have it removed and get a more definitive answer with an actual tissue sample being interpreted? The needle aspirate test is great but unfortunately it does not provide one with a definitive diagnosis. Since this is near a mammary gland I would want to know for sure what this is. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

BB is so handsome! If the vet is recommending a biopsy on it, I would have that done. In a senior dog, there is always a chance that any lump could be malignant, and tumors cannot be drained. They need to be removed surgically, but the only way to know for sure what is causing the lump is to have it diagnosed. Any suspicious lump should be examined and treated to be sure it isn't something serious. I would make an appointment for BB to have this lump diagnosed in order for it to be treated. Best of luck, I hope this helps!

I recommend taking precious into the veterinarian. These lesions may be cancerous and should be assessed by her vet. After exam the vet my recommend surgical biopsy or other diagnostic testing to determine what this is. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach

Very small masses can be tricky to get enough of the needle in the mass without going through it. This area of the body can be tricky to get enough margins due to the lack of tissue before you hit bone, and the movement in the joints makes closure difficult. It could be any number of soft tissue masses, including a wart, mast cell tumor, squamous cell carcinoma, etc. If your vet cannot get enough cells for diagnosis with a fine needle aspirate, simply taking a surgical biopsy without removing the entire mass is an option. When we do bloodwork prior to anesthesia, we are checking the liver and kidney values are normal, no anemia or signs of infection, adequate protein levels, etc. we just want to be aware of any issues inside the body to be able to adjust anesthetic protocols.

Hello! I certainly understand your concern and agree it is a bit worrisome that the mass keeps changing. I think getting the new mass and the old one checked would be a good idea. The masses certainly look small so it might be hard to get a sample without completely removing the masses. There are two ways to test these masses.: A fine needle aspirate is less invasive but may be really hard for very small masses. For this procedure a small needle is inserted in the mass and cells are collected. Pets can be awake and they don’t need stitches. This procedure will generally yield an answer but sometimes they can’t collect enough cells. A biopsy involves removing the entire mass by cutting it away from the skin. This will likely give you a firm answer as to what it is. For this procedure, most pets will need at least a mild sedation and 1 to 2 stitches. Make an appointment to have Max examined and discuss these options with your veterinarian to figure out which one is the best route to go. The main concern with a dark colored mass that is changing is melanoma, but it could absolutely be some thing benign as well. It’s really difficult to know without getting a sample. I hope this helps and that it turns out to be nothing serious!!