Histiosytoma can be diagnosed on dogs by just any age but usually dogs get them when they are young and mostly under 3 years of age. Both females and males get them equally. Young dogs get them usually on their head, neck or ear flaps. If an old dog gets Histiocytoma it often comes to head and paws.

Typically Histiocytoma grows very rapidly. They are small, round shaped and hairless. Usually they are painless but sometimes they may get infected. Usually there is only one Histiocytoma tumour on dog´s skin at the time but sometimes there may be two or else several. Usually dog gets Histiocytoma once or twice but some dogs may get them more often.

Histiocytoma tumour grows rapidly, stays some time on skin and then it usually disappears by itself. But they may also be removed by surgery. Surgery is often recommended if a tumour is on such place that it affects the dog´s daily life or else if it gets irritated and infected. When Histiocytoma is removed by surgery it will not come back to that precise place, but same kind of tumour may very well appear to some other place later.
   

Breeds which are mentioned with quite high risk to develope Histiocytoma are Bulldog, Scottish Terrier, Greyhound, Boxer and Boston Terrier. Sometimes Histiocytoma tumours can also be found on goats and cattle.

Aatu has got Histiocytoma tumour three times. First time it appeared to Aatu´s earflap when he was young. It was itchy and Aatu scratched it so it was removed by surgery. Pathologist checked the skin sample and confirmed that it really was Histiocytoma. Next tumour appeared only few months later to his left hock. It was itchy as well and was also removed by surgery. And pathologist confirmed the statement again.

Then about 10 years later on spring 2008 Aatu got Histiocytoma tumour again and this time to his right front paw. The photos on this page are from that tumour. It bothered Aatu while he moved and also it became infected because it got hurt when we were outing in the woods. So also this one was treated by surgery and statement was confirmed by pathologist.

In Aatu´s case those Histiocytoma tumours have appeared like from nowhere. They have grown to a size of a big pea only within two weeks. And they all have been very itchy. The places they appeared was for me very strange places for tumours. And in all three cases I decided not to wait until the tumour maybe would dissapear by itself but to avoid infection after scratching those tumours have been treated by surgery.