Continued from last week
We have already established that there are several types of skin cancer which can affect dogs/cats. It is important to differentiate them from benign tumours, such as some of those discussed in previous columns. In some cases, it is difficult to decide whether a tumour is a benign or a malignant cancer, just on the basis of appearance alone. Surgical removal of a part of the lump or bump followed by laboratory examination of the tissues may be required to establish the correct diagnosis. My position has always been that if the lump is small, then the vet should excise the whole lump and send it for laboratory diagnosis. Why wait?
The following skin tumours are common in the dog. Although they are not invariably malignant, all have a malignant potential:
Sebaceous gland adenomas
Sebaceous glands are tiny glands which are found alongside each hair. These glands secrete an oily substance which serves to keep the hair from becoming too brittle and which gives the animal’s hair that glossy appearance. Sebaceous adenomas are relatively common adenomas especially in older dogs/cats. They arise from oil-producing skin glands. Cocker Spaniels seem to be affected more often than
