Ask Dr Claire
Lump on 3yr old dogs back paw, vet says it is from a puncture wound with blood inside. But found another in front paw today, pink colour, soft to the touch
As a rule of thumb, lumps are either:
- Non-cancerous and just inflammatory. This includes interdigital cysts and foreign bodies reactions such as caused by grass seeds. (these easily get trapped in the skin and the body reacts resulting in an infected soft lump)
- Cancerous, being either:
(a) Benign (tend to be slow growing and not spread readily), or
(b) Malignant (fast growing and can spread to other areas).
When it comes to lumps, looks can be very deceiving. A vet collecting a sample from the lump and looking under the microscope is the only true way to tell what it is.
Sometimes the sample will be sent to a veterinary pathologist to interpret the cells. Then recommendations can be made as to whether a drainage, medication, biopsy or removal is needed.
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Chat soon,
Dr Claire