Meet Emmit, our Pismo Beach Veterinary Clinic Pet of the Week
I want you to meet Emmit for two reasons (well, three reasons if you count “just because he’s cute and a really good boy” as being a reason 🙂 ).
One: Emmit, like many labrador retreivers, has had many lumps and bumps show up on his body over the years. All of these have been examined by a veterinarian and most have been what are called lipomas (soft, moveable, discrete deposits of fat under the skin that can vary in size). However, on two occasions, Emmit’s bumps came back as cancer called mast cell tumor. Fortunately, Emmit’s people are diligent about getting all of his lumps checked out and because of early detection, Emmit has now been cancer free for 2 years (4 years since the first one was removed)!
Two: One of Emmit’s lipomas kept growing (and growing and growing) and started to interfere with his mobility, so we had to remove it. (For other medical reasons, we did not recommend the surgery for Emmit prior to this). So here are some pictures of the 7 1/2 pound “mini Emmit” Dr. Joel removed!
Lessons from Emmit: Not all lumps and bumps are the same, early detection is best, and even a benign lump should be re-evaluated if changing (in size or texture).
WARNING: At least one graphic surgery picture below.
