Pete the Vet: What to do if your pet has a lump

Harmless wart or dangerous cancer? 'Just monitor it' could be the most dangerous advice of all

If you find a lump on your pet, the best advice is to go see your vet. 

When I qualified as a vet, back in 1985, treatment of cancer was simple. If a lump was growing fast, or if it was bothering the animal (itchy, bleeding, or painful), or if it was in a particular location known to have a higher risk of malignancy, then the recommendation would be surgical removal. Other than that, lumps and bumps were generally ignored, or the advice was “just monitor it”.

In 2021, cancer specialist vets would now say that these words (“just monitor it”) can be the most dangerous advice of all. If there is a small, highly malignant lump, the sooner it is surgically removed, the better. Leaving it alone, letting the lump grow and become more established, is definitely not recommended.