Skin Masses

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What are skin masses in dogs?

This is the name given to any growth that occurs underneath the skin. Masses can be small and benign (like a sebaceous gland adenoma, which is a tumour in the hair follicle gland, or a histiocytoma, which is commonly seen in young dogs) or they can be extensive (like soft tissue sarcomas, STS, or mast cell tumours, MCT).

How is it treated?

Some skin masses (like a sebaceous gland adenoma) can be monitored rather than treated. Dog skin tumours (like STS), on the other hand, will need to be removed if possible, as they can grow and spread. Early treatment can help to ensure your pet’s lifetime is not affected. The longer they’re left, the more difficult and costly masses can be to remove – not to mention the greater the chances they’ve spread elsewhere.

If removal is required, surgery is the preferred choice. We endeavour to remove 1cm or more of healthy tissue beside and beneath the skin mass as well as the tumour itself. We send the mass to histopathology where they check that it has been completely removed and determine what sort of tumour it was. This information can help to shape future decisions, such as whether there’s a need for chemotherapy or not.

Procedure cost

These sorts of procedures can cost as little as $750 for a simple removal or up to $1,750 for an extensive removal at Melbourne Pet Surgery. Compare this to a referral centre where you would likely see a bill of between $1,500 and $3,500 or more.

Recovery and aftercare

Cleo, 10 Years old

Beagle, 10 Years old

Your pet can generally return home the same day as their surgery. Aftercare usually only involves keeping them quiet for a few days and preventing them from licking at the surgery area.

Gallery

Hugo, Staffy, 5 Years old

Lexi, Shar Pei , 5 Years old

Meet Dr. Scot Plummer

BVSC(HONS)

Dr Plummer has always had a deep love for animals and graduated from the University of Queensland with Honours. in his Bachelor of Veterinary Science. After the success of his Brisbane clinic, Dr Plummer has launched Melbourne Pet Surgery with the goal of lowering the cost of high-quality pet care for all Melburnians.

About Scot Pricing philosophy