The health of a pet is invariably the most important concern of its owner. And often this area of life causes a lot of difficulties and worries. Especially if it is not about an ordinary cold, but about what at first glance seems extremely dangerous and can jeopardize the life of the animal. It is such a disease that many pet owners seem to have a lipoma, or wen in a dog. Is a lipoma life threatening for a pet? How can I deal with it?
What is a lipoma?
Lipoma is a tumor that, in rare cases, forms on the internal organs, more often in the connective tissue and in those locations where fat cells form. Such tumors are benign, that is, there is no danger that the dog’s wen will ever degenerate into a cancerous tumor.
Most often, owners find a lipoma during a routine external examination of the animal. This allows you to visually identify the wen in a dog. What does this neoplasm look like? It is a soft swelling of a rounded shape, which is located directly under the skin of the animal and is often mobile.
Causes of lipoma
The most common wen in a dog occurs if the animal is already in old age and has significant excess weight. An important role is played by the hereditary, or genetic, predisposition to the disease. Also, metabolic disorders of any genesis provoke the fact that adipose in a dog is extremely active. The breeds of dogs that are believed to have the greatest predisposition to the formation of wen are the following:
- among small ones: miniature schnauzer;
- among medium: Labrador Retriever;
- among large breeds: Doberman Pinscher.
Most often, lipomas form in the abdominal cavity, as well as in the chest, sometimes on the dog's limbs. As a rule, much less often, a dog’s wen appear on some internal organs or directly next to them (for example, on the heart or lungs, mammary glands or liver, on all organs related to the gastrointestinal tract). The situation is greatly complicated if such formations are multiple.
Are wen dangerous for dogs
Since the wen in a dog does not transform into a cancerous tumor, there is no direct threat to the life of the animal of this kind of neoplasm. In most cases, lipomas do not cause the dog any pain. However, if a sufficiently large adipose has formed in a dog, it can sag significantly due to its own weight, which causes a lot of inconvenience to the animal, including complicating its free movement. However, fatty adipose can often be confused with a dangerous disease - liposarcoma. In this case, the tumor is characterized by uncontrollably rapid growth, which does not limit anything. Therefore, it is impossible to ignore the presence of a wen in your pet, in any case, measures should be taken to diagnose the disease and treat lipoma.
Treatment methods
Experts believe that if the lipoma does not increase in size and does not bother the animal in any way, then nothing should be done. However, if the situation is different, then you should contact your veterinarian. In some cases, you need to remove the wen. Photos of large lipomas in dogs leaves no doubt about this. When is it necessary to seek the help of a surgeon?
When is surgery necessary?
It is important to remember that the removal of wen in dogs occurs exclusively with the help of surgical intervention, at the moment there is no other way to get rid of lipoma. Although the lipoma does not form metastases, but if the neoplasm is characterized by active growth, then an immediate operation is necessary. After all, adipose in a dog is capable of affecting the work of internal organs in the most harmful way, squeezing them and disrupting the blood circulation and the mechanism of their normal functioning.
If such a tumor is not removed on time, then this can lead to tissue death, termination of the adequate functioning of the musculoskeletal system, which will cause severe pain to the animal, and sooner or later some tissues will rot. The operation to remove the lipoma is relatively simple and almost without blood, without causing any threat to the life of the animal. In this case, the wen is directly cut out, the canal is bandaged, which provides its nutrition, and then the previously made incision is sutured.
After the operation, the dog will need care and special care. Seams will need to be protected from injury and not allow the dog to lick them. If all these conditions are met, then after ten days the stitches can be removed, and the dog will feel much better.
Predisposition to lipomatosis
Unfortunately, some dogs may have a hereditary predisposition to a disease called lipomatosis - the occurrence of multiple fat formations. It is good if it is possible to determine in advance whether the puppy's parents suffered from lipomatosis. If yes, then you should pay attention to what measures should be taken so that the dog's wen does not form for as long as possible.
How to prevent the formation of wen?
First of all, you need to give your pet a sufficient amount of time. So, you need to walk a lot with the animal, providing it with good physical activity. An active lifestyle helps prevent many dangerous diseases and unwanted complications, including situations when a wen is formed. Photos of dogs suffering from lipoma allow us to verify the existence of an actual pattern between the presence of excess weight in a dog and a tendency to form adipose tissue. Therefore, the nutrition of the animal also plays an important role.
It should not only be moderate in quantity, but also balanced enough so that the dog can receive all the necessary nutrients, vitamins, trace elements and develop in the most prosperous way. High-quality nutrition from an early age provides good health even in the old age of the animal.
What to do if a dog has a wen?
So, you found a wen in a dog. What to do? Do not try to remove it yourself, do not warm the place of formation of the wen. Do not resort in principle to any folk methods of treating this disease. It is important to remember that only the owner is fully responsible for the life and health of his pet. Therefore, the only correct way out is to show the animal to a competent veterinarian who will determine whether surgery is necessary and explain how to alleviate the condition of the dog. Following the recommendations of specialists will ensure the safety and further well-being of the pet.
The health of the dog is in the hands of the owner. If you are not too lazy to regularly inspect the dog for injuries and formations that are imperceptible at first glance, you can not only protect the pet's health from serious problems, but also significantly save your time and money in the future. Love your smaller brothers and may they be healthy!