Ask the NorthStar VETS Vet: When to have a skin growth examined by a veterinarian

Q: When should a skin growth on a pet be concerning? And what changes would be cause for a re-evaluation by your vet?

A: Skin growths are common in both dogs and cats. Skin tumors can both be benign and malignant. If your pet has a skin mass, I recommend having it evaluated by your veterinarian. If a mass is bigger than 0.5cm, generally we can put a needle into the mass to obtain cells, called a fine needle aspirate to determine if it is benign or malignant. Any time a mass is growing or changing in character (for example, gets firm), it should be evaluated, even if it has been evaluated before. Occasionally, a mass that was previously diagnosed as benign can turn into a cancerous mass. I recommend any mass that is larger than 2cm or growing be removed. Certain breeds of dogs are more likely to get mast cell tumors such as Pugs, Boston Terriers and Boxers. And other breeds, such as Cocker Spaniels, have benign papillomas.

Jennifer Kim, DVM
Dr. Kim grew up in New York and received her BA from the University of Pennsylvania in 1998. After spending two years at the National Cancer Institute performing cancer genetic research, she attended veterinary school at Tufts University, graduating in 2003. Dr. Kim completed a rotating internship at the Animal Medical Center in Manhattan, New York and then an oncology internship at Cornell University. She initially began at NorthStar VETS as an emergency clinician in 2005 and returned to us in January 2010 to treat oncology patients after completing a residency in medical oncology at Michigan State University, sponsored by NorthStar VETS.

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