Pets and farm animals suffer from cancer just as humans do. While treatment protocols are not always identical between pets and humans when cancer is concerned, many of the same treatments are performed. The most ubiquitous of these treatments is tumor removal. While not all tumors are cancerous, it’s important to have all of your pets tumors evaluated by a veterinarian.
The Most Common Types of Tumors Our Veterinarian Sees
Countless new cells replace old ones every minute of every day in an animal’s body. Sometimes these cells do not form correctly. In some cases, these aberrations continue growing, eventually spreading to vital organs and threatening the health of the body. Because cancer can develop in just about any part of a pet’s body, it’s important to understand the type of tumors that can occur and how to watch out for them. These include:
- Histiocytoma – a small, red bump and benign skin tumor, this tends to show up in puppies and young dogs.
- Lipoma – A deeper fat cell tumor that shows up under the deeper skin, it can be moved around when feeling for it.
- Mast Cell Tumor – a skin cell tumor, this version of cancer starts at the skin level and gets irritated very quickly as well as has fast growth.
- Osteosarcoma – The term “osteo” refers to bone, and this name refers to a bone cancer develops within an animal’s skeleton.
- Melanoma – Like humans, melanoma tumors are skin cancer tumors that show up dark and can range from benign to aggressive.
- Papilloma – Otherwise described as a wart, this type of tumor develops a hard, rough outer edge and can grow with time.
- Lymphoma – A cancer in the lymph organs and nodes of a pet. Typically noticed as a swelling located behind key joints or under the jaw of the pet in the neck.