Lumps and bumps in the skin, should you be concerned?

The answer is not always, but an examination by your veterinarian is needed to determine this.

As pets grow and get older, they can develop lumps and bumps throughout their body. Although it is more common for older pets to develop skin masses, younger pets can develop them too. On many occasions skin masses are classified as benign. Sometimes, however, they can be malignant and cause problems. The best course of action to determine whether a lump or bump in your pet’s skin is benign or malignant is to have it evaluated by your veterinarian.

More than likely, a fine needle aspirate for cytology evaluation will be recommended to determine if further medical care is needed.A non-invasive technique that can be used to determine whether a skin mass is benign or malignant is a fine needle aspirate. This technique involves obtaining samples from the mass or abnormal tissue using a small needle. The sample obtained is then gently expelled onto a clean glass slide with the help of an empty syringe and examined with a microscope. This technique does not require sedation and can be rapidly performed.

Examples of benign masses in the skin include fatty tumors (also known as lipomas), sebaceous cysts, sebaceous adenomas, warts, skin tags, and benign tumors such as histiocytomas, among others. Unless they are causing a problem for your pet, such as impacting mobility or causing skin irritation, these don’t always require additional medical care and can be closely monitored. 

Examples of malignant masses in the skin include certain types of cancer such as mast cell tumor, carcinoma, melanoma, soft tissue sarcomas, and hemangiosarcoma, among others. Because malignant masses can be locally aggressive and spread to other locations in the body, such as the lymph nodes and the lungs (also known as metastasis) further medical care such as surgery and possibly chemotherapy are usually needed as well.

It is definitely scary to find a lump or bump in your pet’s skin. Having them examined right away will ultimately let you and your veterinarian know the appropriate next steps to take.

Learn more about Pet Cancer Care at VCA Hollywood Animal Hospital @

Irene Vazquez, DVM, MS DACVIM (Oncology)

We Can-cer-vive Cancer! Meet Charlie!!!

Meet cancer survivor Charlie and learn how a team approach to health care is so important when it comes to your pet's health. 

Charlie is a very adorable 14 year old cat that was diagnosed with an ear canal cancer known as ceruminous gland adenocarcinoma. This type of cancer is one of the most common ear canal cancers seen in both cats and dogs. Clinical signs associated with this disease include excessive cerumen accumulation, discharge, swelling, itchiness, and recurrent infections. In order to obtain a diagnosis, advanced imaging such as a CT scan is usually required. 

Most commonly, ear carcinomas are locally invasive and have a low chance of spreading to other locations. The treatment of choice for this type of cancer is surgical resection, which involves completely removing the ear canal (TECA- total ear canal ablation). 


A TECA or in Charlie's case a TECABO is a Total Ear Canal Ablation or Total Ear Canal Ablation Bulla Osteotomy. This procedure involves the complete removal of the ear canal middle ear, leaving only the ear flap remaining. 


Although this type of surgery may sound like a lot for your pet to go through, they tend to feel so much better once it is performed and it gives them the best chance at achieving a long survival time. With successful surgery and no identified negative prognostic indicators, patients can live a long time after removal of their cancer. 

Charlie was initially evaluated by Dr. Irene Vazquez at our the Oncology Service and had a CT scan performed, which showed he had a mass within his ear canal. The mass was sampled and the results were consistent with carcinoma. Charlie was then evaluated by Dr. Andrea Clark at our Surgery Service and had surgery performed to remove his tumor. 

Charlie on his 5 month anniversary cancer free!

Since his surgery, Charlie has been doing great at home and is currently cancer free. He continues to come in for routine evaluations to make sure his cancer is not spreading and so far, he's been doing amazing! He is the sweetest boy and our hearts melt every time he comes in. 

We wish Charlie the best of luck and the longest survival time! Our VCA Hollywood family is SO proud of him 💙.


Contributors: Irene Vazquez, DVM and Andrea Clark, DVM

Charlie after surgery. 

A Team Approach to Cancer Care, VCA Pet Cancer Care Center!

A diagnosis of cancer is stressful for every pet owner. Helping owners learn as much as they can about the disease and the latest advances in treatment is key to managing fear, confusion, and helping them make an educated decision on their pet’s health.

Our mission is to provide an exceptional level of progressive and sensitive cancer care to the cancer patient through a team approach and ensure that our client is always well informed and comfortable with decisions made regarding their pet’s care.

Using the strengths and expertise of all specialists on site, including doctors from our Surgery, Internal Medicine, Cardiology, Dermatology, Radiology, and Emergency and Critical Care departments we tailor treatment protocols for each pet’s specific cancer and physical conditions to optimize the outcome and minimize side effects.

Our technicians have experience in caring and supporting cancer patients. They are knowledgeable and experienced in chemotherapy administration and treatment and they adhere to strict protocols to maintain the highest level of safety for the staff and patient. We emphasize support, education, and improving the quality of life for all animals, particularly those undergoing treatment.

Our Medical Oncology department utilizes chemotherapy to treat cancer.  Each tumor type has a different biological behavior. Depending on the tumor type, staging exams are usually performed prior to recommending treatment. Staging exams may include fine needle aspirates and/or biopsies, chest radiographs, an abdominal ultrasound and ultrasound guided aspirates, CT scan, etc. These can all be performed on-site and help us gain a better idea of the pet’s overall health.  Based on the tumor type and staging exam results, we may recommend surgery, chemotherapy, or a combination of both treatments. For some types of cancer, a curative intent treatment can be pursued. For others, a palliative intent treatment may be followed. 

 VCA Hollywood offers Medical Oncology Services
 with Dr. Irene Vazquez.
 Get to know Dr. Vazquez!