b'The Good, the Badand the Lumpy.by Elizabeth F. Baird, DVM, CVPP, CCRTLumps and bumps seem to crop up everywhere on our middle- these sorts of problems, removal is mandatory even though theyaged and older pups. You hear about these fatty lumps, but dont are officially benign. Of course, its easier to do this before theyknow whether to worry or not. The most common masses we reach such size, but because they are benign, we are often tempt-find on our dogs are lipomas, benign tumors comprised of a dis- ed to ignore them. If sudden growth is noted or if the locationcretecollectionoffatcellsbeneath affects limb movement, its ideal to getthe skin. The majority feel soft and them off before they get too sizable.squishy although some will feel hard- Theotherproblemwecaner if they are beneath muscle or other encounterismistakenlythinkingatissue. Lipomas are benign in that they lump is a benign lipoma based on howdo not spread to distant places, like it feels when it is really something elsemetastasistothelungsassomany altogether. The safest bet is to have acancersdo. Theytypicallywillnot small aspirate taken from every subcu-recur when removed unless they are taneous mass when they first appearanunusualformreferredtoasan (oriftheysuddenlystarttogrowinfiltrative lipoma. In those cases, the quickly) to determine if the contentslipoma has actually infiltrated into the are fat or not. Its a simple in-officelocaltissueandisdifficulttoimpossibletofullyremove. procedure for your veterinarian to draw a bit of material into aMalignant fatty tumors, called liposarcomas, are thankfully rare very small needle (think injection in reverse) and then put thatas they are quite nasty and invasive. sample on a slide for the pathologist to review. Anything that isThe typical lipoma is round to oval and soft beneath not clearly fat should be examined by a pathologist as there arethe skin. They occur most often on the trunk of the body and some really dangerous subcutaneous masses that can appear onless often on the legs or head. Although they are not malignant, our dogs. And unfortunately, they often dont look particularlythey can still cause a fair bit of trouble. They are capable of scary on the outside. The pathologist can generally guide usgrowing to impressive sizes and often appear in awkward spots regarding the cell type of the mass and whether it is benign orlike beneath the foreleg (the dog version of an armpit). In some malignant from that fine needle aspirate sample, although occa-locations they can disrupt the dogs gait or change the angle of sionally they need a full tissue biopsy to make the diagnosis.thelimbwhichaffectsjointsandmovement.Otherssimply As you might expect, the earlier the mass removalgrow to pretty amazing size and cause discomfort and mobility is performed (and the smaller the mass), the easier the surgeryproblems due to their sheer size. They can easily weight 3 to 5 isforthedogandthebettertheprognosiswillbeforpounds and cause a dog to list to one side. When lipomas create malignant tumors. UDog & Cat LoversWhereCat LoversYOUR HOMETOWN VETERINARIAN. WhereWheDog & Cat LovW & Scratch Their Itchtch Their Itch DScratch ThCome meet Katie, Bentley and Spike.t\x01 Holistic Foods,STEVEN C. LEWIS, DVM Treats & Supplements.t\x01 Stroller, Carriers,225 E. Davis Island Blvd., Tampa Bedding & ID Tags.Open 6 Days a Week with Convenient Hours. t\x01 Breed Specic Jewelry,In-House Laboratory, Radiology, Laser Surgery, Dental Cleaning and More. Art, Clocks, Figurines,Call for an appointment t 813.251.4384 Stickers & More. Come visit our new location!FAX: 813.251.4398 t\x01 Apparel & Accessories. 37842 Meridian Avenue, Dade Citywww.DavisIslandAnimalClinic.com t\x01 Personalized Gifts 352.467.9622f b k /dog.mania.catsAccredited by the USDA for all health certicates, interstate and international. df h www.facebook.com/dog.mania.catsFollow Us On FACEBOOK for More Health and Behavior Tips.www.TheNewBarker.com Spring ~ 2015 THE NEW BARKER 65'