FOUNTAIN HILLS, Ariz., Oct. 23, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bumps and lumps anywhere on a pet's body may be benign or dangerous. It takes diagnostic testing performed by a veterinarian to determine whether they are life threatening, reports Friendship Pet Hospital.

As the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) indicates, you can save money as well as a life by having a vet test and remove growths. "The cost of preventive care usually pales in comparison to the cost of treating the disease or problem," AVMA warns.

Dr. Lynne Hoban of Friendship Pet Hospital, 11679 North Saguaro Boulevard in Fountain Hills, AZ, says that although a mass, whether small or large, may be a harmless fatty tumor, it can also be a cancerous. "Pet owners need to have growths diagnosed and removed as soon as possible. If the lumps need to be treated surgically, surgical intervention can be curative," Dr. Hoban adds.

Vets use a process called fine needle aspiration to remove fluid from these growths for testing. "At Friendship Pet Hospital," Dr. Hoban says, "we can usually make a diagnosis here by analyzing the fluid. But we send it to a lab if we need a second opinion."

Friendship Pet Hospital also serves Rio Verde and Scottsdale. Their preventive care services encompass a variety of wellness checkups including standard annual exams encompassing nose-to-tail physicals performed by Dr. Lynne Hoban or Dr. Candice Emerson. They run lab tests of blood and fecal samples to determine any abnormalities or parasitic infestations, such as heartworm.

An annual exam may identify problems that aren't obvious to a pet owner, such as early stages of glaucoma, internal parasites, endocrine system malfunction and organ failure. The scheduling of the exam may also line up with dates for various core and lifestyle vaccinations.

Core vaccines, including legally mandated rabies shots, protect against major illnesses. Lifestyle vaccines are ones, such as shots for Leptospirosis disease or kennel cough, which are related to a pet's activities. A dog that spends lots of time exploring outdoors needs flea and tick prevention to prevent tick-borne illness. Bordetella is a common kennel cough vaccination that grooming, animal daycare and boarding facilities generally require for boarders.

Wellness care also includes pet dental exams and checkups customized for baby or senior animals. For example, an initial puppy or kitten exam may place emphasis on parasite screening and core vaccinations. In contrast, a senior pet exam usually adds testing for old age problems, such as cancer, chronic pain, degenerative joints and diabetes.

"Leave a problem like hyperthyroidism undiagnosed or miss an important vaccination and debilitating conditions may occur," Dr. Hoban says.  

More information about preventive wellness care is available by calling Friendship Pet Hospital at (480) 372-9529. Their website can be accessed by visiting http://friendshippet.com/. Hospital hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday, 9 a.m. to noon.

Friendship Pet Hospital, (480) 372-9529