Were you able to identify the bump from this photo?
I posted the quiz to make a point; thank you all for helping me make it. With the photo of a bump, there were seven possibilities one of which was the correct one.
Congratulations, except those who said they didn't know, you were all wrong.
Here is what your answers were:
| Fat tumor/lipoma | 13.33% |
| Sebaceous cyst | 33.33% |
| Mast cell tumor | 0.00% |
| Skin tag | 13.33% |
| Wart | 13.33% |
| Histiocytoma | 13.33% |
| Other | 13.33% |
Answers under other included different versions of "I don't know."
Regardless of what the tumor has been actually identified as, "I don't know" is the only correct answer to this question.
Nobody, not even an oncologist can identify a bump by looking at it.
The proof is in the pudding. Well, in the cells. The tumor on a photo has been properly identified with a fine needle aspirate and it is a mast cell tumor.
I'm in the I have no clue camp. Skin issues are particularly hard to identify! Vet visit it is.
ReplyDeleteYes, not having a clue was the right answer. Nobody can know without looking at the cells.
DeleteI remember this quiz. I had no idea, but took a guess - think I said wart. Silly on my part, I should have just said I didn't know.
ReplyDeleteWarts, if you mean papillomas, are generally the type of growth that can be identified by looking. They have a very specific appearance - cauliflower-like on a "stalk."
DeleteI am in the no idea group and when I find funny things on Layla I just run to the vet, I feel I would be rather safe than sorry
ReplyDeleteYes, absolutely better safe than sorry. EVEN when having a whole bunch of same-looking bumps it's important to aspirate every single one of them. That's what started Dr. Ettinger's "See Something, Do Something," campaign. A vet technician's dog had a whole bunch of bumps, all identified as lipomas. When he grew a new one, everybody assumed it was the same but it wasn't and mast cell tumor was missed.
DeleteI was also in the "I don't know" camp. If I find something like that, I'll take my dog to the vet.
ReplyDeleteYes, good job. Not even an oncologist can identify a bump by looking at it.
DeleteDefinitely eye opening. If you see a bump of any kind on your dog it's best to consult a Veterinarian!
ReplyDeleteLove & Biscuits,
Dogs Luv Us and We Luv Them
Thank you, that's what I was trying to do - to open people's eyes to the fact that one cannot judge a bump by appearance.
DeleteI have no idea. That's something to have a vet check out for sure. Just like you mention get an aspirate. I remember that's exactly what my vet did for me when I found out my cat likely had cancer.
ReplyDeleteYes. Aspirate. Look at the cells. The only way of really knowing. Many cancers can be cured with surgery IF caught early. If not, and they metastize, then it's too late.
DeleteWow! Just another reason to get everything checked out! I tend to be overprotective, but better to be that way than have something serious spread.
ReplyDeleteI saw it and was like "some kind of tumor, maybe?" I am a pharmaceutical materials scientist, working on oncology drugs, so my mind always assumes the worst :-(
ReplyDeleteMy thinking always is...would I take myself to the doctor if it was me? If the answer is "Yes" then my furbaby goes to the vet. My dogs are my other children and I will treat them accordingly. They deserve the same love and respect that we give ourselves and children.
ReplyDeleteIt's definitely better to let the people who get paid to tell you what it is, tell you what it is! How bad is a mast cell tumor?
ReplyDeleteThanks for bringing this to our attention. With so many tumors being internal, this shows us that cancers can also be external.
ReplyDeleteGreat lesson! I would have said "I don't know" if I would have seen the question. Cancer is the trickiest disease out there. Even if a lump were to appear on your own body, you wouldn't know what kind of lump it was without testing. I've had friends make that deadly mistake. It is even harder to know what it is on a pet who can't tell you what it feels like.
ReplyDeleteWe had Henry's cysts tested; thankfully, they were just 'fatty cysts' and nothing to worry about. We still keep an eye on them for changes.
ReplyDeleteAny type of unusual bump that shows up on my girls that hasn't been there before causes a quick trip to the vet! Luckily, Brulee and Truffle were okay. My previous Persian, Sweet Praline, had a mast cell tumor that was removed, but died a year later because there was another tumor in her digestive system. Our little Beignet developed a sarcoma at 10 weeks of age and died on the operating table trying to remove all of the cancer. We take bumps seriously here!
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful reminder to get any bump checked out by a professional vet. Don't guess, it will just make your humans go crazy.
ReplyDeleteGood advice. My lab had a malignant mast cell tumor. Very scary experience for all of us. I’m with you, I don’t take diagnoses over the internet and I don’t make assumptions about lumps and bumps. I seek the advice and recommendations from my vet.
ReplyDelete