Remove lumps?

Dr. Marie replied:

Hi Karen and thanks for your question. This may be a tough one to answer without being able to examine Sammy. But, I'll give you some of my thoughts.

While I will often do a fine needle aspirate on a lump, there are some lumps where I would prefer to do a biopsy. If I think a lump is extremely likely to be a lipoma (fat lump) then I will usually do a fine needle aspirate from several areas rather than biopsying. However, if I am suspicious of something more sinister such as a spindle cell tumor or a mast cell tumor I may be more likely to biopsy or even remove the entire lump. Really this decision on whether to do an aspirate or biopsy can only be made after examining the lump. So, if your vet doesn't feel comfortable with just an aspirate then the biopsy is a good idea.

I wouldn't worry about one vet thinking his gums were pale. This can sometimes mean that there is anemia (low red cells) but the bloodwork would have shown us this.

It sounds like you are in good hands. If Sammy's blood work is normal then I would have no concerns about an anesthetic. If this is what your vet is advising then it sounds like a good idea to go ahead.

I hope all goes well!

Dr. Marie

---This question was asked in our Ask A Vet For Free section.---


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