![Cytology of a mast cell tumor from a Labrador retriever at a magnification of 1,000x. By Joel Mills (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html), CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/) or CC-BY-SA-2.5-2.0-1.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5-2.0-1.0)], via Wikimedia Commons.](http://www.vettimes.co.uk/app/uploads/2014/06/Mast_cell_tumor_cytology_2.jpg)
We have all had those lumps that, on palpation, you are sure are lipomas (being soft, freely mobile and slow growing). Indeed, the vast majority are just such benign problems – however, it is worth aspirating them to be sure.
Felt like lipoma
We recently had a case in a nine-year-old Labrador with a soft subcutaneous mass the owner had been aware of for a month. It felt just like a lipoma.
On checking the lump again two weeks later, this had got noticeably bigger. FNAs of the mass revealed the presence of a mast cell tumour.
Following excision with good 3cm margins, the Lab went on to make a full recovery.
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