So as not to throw one’s self in a state of panic, one must always remember that a tumour is just swelling and not necessarily a cancer.
I mentioned before (TPC May 18, 2014) that many tumours in dogs and cats are to be found on the surface of the skin, or just below the skin (as in breast cancers).
Sebaceous cysts
One of the most common enlargements on the skin is a cyst, the sebaceous cyst to be exact. Now, let me go back a bit and remind you of what you probably already know, namely that dogs do not have sweat glands. They get rid of heat mainly through open mouth panting. But dogs do have sebaceous glands in the skin. These glands secrete fatty matter which lubricates the surface hair and skin. (That’s why we should not bathe dogs too often; the shampoo bath removes the needed skin lubricants).
If these sebaceous glands, which occur all over the dog’s body, become infected and inflamed, one will notice bumps all over the skin. These bumps contain a thick cheesy substance (Keratin) which is surrounded by a thick capsule. That is a sebaceous cyst. If there are only a few cysts occurring, then your vet can lance and drain them. Some of
