You don’t need to be a medic or pet-professional to understand important medical terms that could save your pets life! You just need your vet, this blog and Oneplan.

As pet owners, there are very few things we wouldn’t do to keep our dogs safe. We buy them overpriced food, toys that they’ll only play with for 20 minutes and take them for walks even when we’ve had a long day. Not only do we put our time and energy into their wellbeing but our finances too. So, when we discover something like a random lump on their body, it’s natural to panic.

Breaking down the jargon

Noticing any weird growth on your fur baby can be extremely terrifying and an easy way for your mind to venture off to a dark place. But you can exhale because finding a lump doesn’t always have to mean bad news, as there are a number of treatment options that are available: starting with a biopsy.

Now I will be the first person to tell you that medical terminology can be rather confusing. All of a sudden you are expected to have terms like mass, tumour and neoplasia in your vocabulary – out of nowhere. Well, you aren’t alone and there is absolutely no pressure for you to have all the answers … or definitions.

Lump or mass

Broadly speaking, the random bump that you found on your dog is often called a lump or mass when we aren’t sure what exactly we’re dealing with.

Growth or tumour

When we refer to a growth or tumour it often implies that this is a form of cancer that is controlling cell growth. Now, a tumour can either be benign or malignant. If it is benign it means that the cancer is non-aggressive and has not spread throughout your dog’s body. If the growth is malignant it means that the cancer is most likely to aggressively move to different parts of the body.

My dogs got a bump … now what?

Well, first you don’t panic.

Then you take your dog straight to the vet, where they can assess the bump. They will start off by checking whether the area is soft or hard, whether it appears on the skin or attached to deeper structures. They will also look at whether the bump is covered in hair or it has become red and ulcerated.

Once that’s done, they will have to make the decision whether or not it is advisable to remove or test the bump first.

Regardless of which option you choose, testing a piece of a mass is called a “biopsy.”

This is an important word to add to your petcare vocabulary. This procedure generally requires your fur baby to be put under anaesthesia. The vet will then take a small sample of the growth and send it off to the pathologists for interpretation.

Following the biopsy, your dog will still need to get stitches done.

The truth behind a biopsy

It is important to remember that your vet has your pet’s best interests at heart, and they will take whatever steps needed to keep them safe. That being said, some of those steps don’t come cheap.

In fact, many people have even noted that a pet’s vet bills closely rival those of your own healthcare costs. As veterinary care advances which allow our pets to lead longer and healthier lives, the costs of said care is increased as a result.

Many pet owners find themselves in an unfortunate situation where they are either forced to euthanise their pets as they cannot afford the procedures. Others are forced to dip into their savings and take out loans to cover the costs. This results in some serious medical debt that is financially crippling.

So, what do you do when you want to protect both your dog AND your finances?

How to prepare for vet bills

While most of this blog may have been a little more difficult to understand, courtesy of all the new terms and definitions, this next part is going to be a breeze. The answer to all of your pet-related worries is so simple it’s astounding.

All you really need is Oneplan. It’s that simple.

Oneplan pet insurance

As I previously stated, the costs of routine care and vet visits can quickly add up, not to mention the skyrocketing costs of emergency pet care (these can easily cost R10 000 to R30 000 or more for a basic procedure to save your pet’s life).

Opting for Oneplan pet insurance will help extend your pets life and help you cover all of those pet healthcare costs. Everyone is essentially covered … what more could you ask for?

Now I could get into all of the incredible things that Oneplan does, but instead I’ll share a few of their incredible costs that they will happily cover for you ... you know, to get your tail wagging in the meanwhile:

1. Vet visits
2. Routine care
3. Accidents
4. Illnesses
5. Kennel fees - when something happens to you and you cannot look after your pet
6. Burial and cremation

Whether your pet has a benign or malignant lump on their body and they need to undergo a biopsy and other costly medical procedures, just know that you aren’t alone. A team of professionals are ready to come to your rescue … all you have to do is tap here and they will take care of the rest!

Until next time,

The Pet Insurance Team