Removal of skin and subcutaneous tumours

What it involves

Removing a skin lump means cutting out the lesion together with a rim of healthy tissue around it (the margin) and suturing the wound. The width of the margin depends on what we expect: a lipoma can be shelled out almost at its edge, whereas a mast cell tumour or a spindle cell tumour requires a wide, planned excision.

That is why before the procedure we almost always perform a fine-needle biopsy and cytology on site. We puncture the lesion with a thin needle, examine the cells under the microscope and within tens of minutes we know whether we are dealing with a lipoma, a cyst, inflammation or a tumour. This examination decides how large an incision to plan.

Every lesion removed is sent for histopathological examination — even when it looks harmless. The result confirms the diagnosis and shows whether the margins are clear.

When it is used

When a new lump has appeared on or under the skin, is growing, changing colour, bleeding, has ulcerated or bothers the animal. Also when a lesion is old but has never been examined — observation alone is not diagnosis.

We sometimes remove small lesions in calm patients under sedation with local anaesthesia. Larger or multiple lesions, or those in a difficult location (eyelid, paw, tail, perianal area), are removed under general anaesthesia with monitoring.

Indications: symptoms that should prompt a visit

• You feel a new lump under your dog's or cat's skin that was not there before.
• The lump is growing quickly, has changed colour or has started to bleed.
• The lesion sometimes gets larger and sometimes smaller (typical of a mast cell tumour).
• The animal licks or chews at the lesion, or a wound has formed that does not heal.
• The lump is somewhere it gets in the way: on the eyelid, the paw, in the armpit, under the collar.
• An older dog has many soft lumps, but one is firmer than the rest.
• A cat has an ulcerated lesion on the nose, ears or eyelids.

Conditions for which we use it in particular

Diagnostics beforehand

We begin by looking at and palpating the lesion and the lymph nodes, then with cytology from a fine-needle biopsy assessed on site. If the picture points to a malignant tumour, before the procedure we carry out staging: cytology of the lymph node, a chest X-ray, sometimes an abdominal ultrasound — this is part of the oncology pathway.

Pre-anaesthetic assessment under STD-01: a clinical examination and, for patients over 7 years old or with concurrent diseases, an on-site blood test.

How it proceeds

Aftercare

A collar or body suit for 10–14 days, restricted movement for wounds on the limbs and in areas under tension, and painkillers as set out on the schedule. Wound check after 2–3 days, suture removal after 10 days.

We receive the histopathology result in about 2 weeks and discuss it at a visit: for a benign lesion, or a malignant one with clear margins, treatment is complete; with incomplete margins or a high grade we plan further steps with an oncology consultation. Call if the wound opens, fluid leaks from it or swelling has appeared.

Frequently asked questions