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Lumps and Bumps on Dogs and Cats



 Submitted by Michael Adams on December 22, 2009
Finding a lump on your pet’s body can be quite disconcerting. However, dogs and cats do develop small bumps also called papules or larger lumps also called nodules on their skin. The word lump often brings to mind cancer and it’s not easy to determine the lump with an untrained eye. However, not all lumps are cancerous and you can look for some of the following symptoms to determine the type of lump that you have discovered. However, it’s always a good idea to get your pet checked by a trained vet.

Some common lumps that form on the skin of dogs and cats are abscesses. These are usually firm and filled with pus. Cats could get this due to a bite. Your pet may appear depressed or suffer from a mild fever with a loss of appetite. Dogs can get a skin irritation by continuous licking of an area. This causes the skin to appear red, hairless, with a raised lesion often forming on a leg. This condition needs behavior modification to prevent it from recurring. If your pet has contracted an allergy this could also lead to the formation of a lump on the skin. These bumps will usually appear as a rash, with sparse hairs and will be an itchy patch on their skin. The best way to prevent this from occurring is to determine the cause of the allergy and keep your pet away from it.

A common condition that affects pets is apocrine sweat gland cysts. These cysts appear as single smooth nodules without hair. They may look blue and are usually filled with liquid. These are commonly seen on the head, neck and limbs of dogs and cats. Another common condition is calluses that results from chronic pressure on certain areas and is seen in large breed dogs. These lumps appear thickened and are hairless and usually occur raised over bony pressure points such as elbows. A flea allergy may appear as a lump, it will make the animal itch. The area around the lump will appear crusty and scaly, with patchy skins of hair loss. Histiocytoma is a condition that affects younger dogs, in this condition a solitary raised, red nodule appears on the skin, it looks like a strawberry and is seen on the legs, head, or ears. This will require surgical removal. A common cancer that affects dogs is lymphoma. It is noticeable as itchy, ulcers, or nodules. Removal may require surgery or chemotherapy.
 
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