The lab results came back for the growth that was removed from Poppy Seed’s side. It was a dermal hemangioma. Combined from multiple posts on Vet Info:
It is sort of hard to find information on hemangiomas. These are a benign lump formed by blood vessel tissues that occur in the skin. Hemangiomas can vary in color from bluish
to purple to reddish-black or purplish-black. Most hemangiomas appear to be raised lumps but we have seen some that just looked like skin discoloration. They can vary in size from very small to as large as several centimeters in diameter. Sometimes they look like a small chain of colored lumps. They are most common in dogs but do occur in cats, as well. There is some argument about whether these are even a cancer. Some sources identify these as blood vessel abnormalities and others as benign cancers. These can get large and they have a really irritating habit of intermittently bleeding from ulcerations of the surface and the bleeding can be severe enough to be a problem, based on a couple of cases we have seen in our practice. These can also grow to be quite large at times. The good thing is that surgical removal should provide a complete cure if it is possible to get the whole tumor. In sites where this is hard, radiation therapy can be helpful. It is a good idea to send these tumors for histopath exam because they often resemble other tumors that are malignant.Mike Richards, DVM
Yippee! Nothing to worry about. The vet felt that they had removed the entire tumor so it is unlikely to grow back. The only bad news is that the vet wants the stitches to stay in longer so Poppy gets an extra week in the cone of shame! Thankfully she is getting used to it. She still won’t eat, drink, or go to the bathroom while wearing it so we de-cone her and watch her like a hawk while she takes care of the necessities, then back into the cone. She will now jump, run, walk, and most importantly SLEEP while coned so life is better.
