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My pet has a new bump. How do vets check if it's cancerous or not?
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Is this round bump as shown in photo is cancerous or what is it exactly and how this can be treated?
3 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Answered By Dr. Strydom, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on November 14th, 2017
There is a way to get a preliminary idea without surgery and that is with a fine needle aspirate. Your vet will put a needle directly into the mass (anesthesia is not required) and pull out some cells, put those cells on a microscope slide and then analyze them. This may give you a cursory idea of what type of mass it is.
So, one of those things will need to be done before you can get an answer. Hope this helps.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpfulRelated Answers from Veterinarians
Answered By Dr. Heidi DVM, CVA, CCRT, CVTP, CVSMT, CVCH
Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist, Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner
Published on July 11th, 2018
Red shiny bumps are always worth checking out. Unfortunately, we can see cancerous masses that are red, so I would recommend having your vet evaluate the masses in case they recommend removing them. Unfortunately, we often can't tell anything about a mass by just looking at it, but your vet can perform a simple test called a fine needle aspirate where they use a small needle to collect some cells from the mass, then look at them under the microscope. They may even need to send the cells to the lab for a pathologist to examine them, so we know what the mass is. If it is benign, you might not need to do anything about the mass at all, but if they see cells that worry them, they might recommend removing the mass.
Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Dr. Heidi DVM, CVA, CCRT, CVTP, CVSMT, CVCH
Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist, Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner
Published on February 20th, 2018
Anytime a new mass is noticed, I always recommend having it evaluated to see what it is and if anything needs to be done about it. Unfortunately, we can't tell anything about a mass by just looking at it. Your vet can perform a simple test called a fine needle aspirate where they use a small needle to collect some cells from the mass, then look at them under the microscope. They may even need to send the cells to the lab for a pathologist to examine them, so we know what the mass is. If it is benign, you might not need to do anything about the mass at all, but if they see cells that worry them, they might recommend removing the mass. We very commonly see benign masses in cats that are filled with fluid which are easy to diagnose, but your vet would need to collect a sample to verify what the mass is.
Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.1Pet Parents found this answer helpful