Lumps in animals come in all shapes and sizes and can appear in various parts of the body. Often, pets may develop different types of lumps simultaneously, each requiring a different approach to treatment. Boxers are a breed particularly prone to developing lumps, and Lola was no exception—she had one in her teat and several in her mouth that needed attention.

An epulis is a type of benign lump that occurs in the mouth. It is essentially an overgrowth of gum tissue, and the Boxer breed is especially susceptible to this condition. Dogs often develop more than one of these lumps and can spread throughout the upper and lower jaws. These can grow large enough to cover the teeth. Although not life-threatening, they can cause discomfort, halitosis (bad breath), and lead to secondary infections or dental disease. For this reason, large or multiple epulides are often recommended for removal.

Lola was particularly affected by this condition, and her owner had previously dealt with epulides in another Boxer. In Lola’s case, the growths were quite severe, covering most of her teeth, and she also had a lump on one of her teats. Mammary lumps are relatively common in entire (unspayed) bitches. Removal of the affected teat and gland is typically advised, as a significant proportion of these lumps can be malignant and potentially life-threatening.

Lumps in the gums can also be malignant, and in the early stages they can resemble epulides. However, Lola’s multiple epulides were slow-growing and not invading the tooth roots or hard palate, suggesting they were benign. Still, due to their size and the accompanying bad breath, she was booked in for surgery to have them removed, along with the mammary gland lump.

At nine and a half years old, Lola had a pre-anaesthetic blood test on the morning of her procedure to rule out any underlying health conditions. She was also placed on an intravenous drip for emergency use and to help manage her blood pressure during surgery. Once anaesthetised, an X-ray of her lungs was taken to rule out secondary tumour spread (metastases). If malignancy had already spread, it could have altered the surgical plan. Fortunately, her lungs were clear, and surgery proceeded as planned.

The affected mammary gland was removed (a mastectomy) and sent to the lab to determine whether the lump was benign or malignant, and whether it had been fully removed.

The final stage of the procedure was the removal of the overgrown gum tissue. This was done using diathermy—a cauterising surgical instrument that cuts through tissue while simultaneously sealing blood vessels. Numerous epulides were removed this way, after which the underlying teeth were examined and cleaned using an ultrasonic scaler to remove heavy plaque.

Lola recovered well from the procedure and returned home the same evening to rest over the following days. The lab results arrived the next week, confirming the mammary lump was malignant—but, crucially, it had been fully removed. This was a huge relief and confirmed that surgery had likely been curative.

Lola is scheduled to be spayed via a keyhole (laparoscopic) procedure at a later date, depending on her hormonal cycles and seasons. For now, we are pleased to report she is far more comfortable—and with much better-smelling breath!