A small, firm nodule under the skin of your dog's or cat's belly is one of the most common reasons pet owners bring an older, unspayed female in for examination—and mammary tumours are among the most frequently diagnosed neoplasms (cancers/tumours) in companion animals. This article explains what is happening at the cellular level, who is most at risk, how we tell a harmless lump from a dangerous one, and what the road to recovery looks like. The mammary gland is, by design,

Two small glands sitting just in front of your pet's kidneys quietly run an enormous share of their day-to-day biology—blood pressure, salt balance, stress response, and metabolism. When those glands make too little hormone, too much of one hormone, or too much of another, three very different diseases can result: Addison's disease, Conn's syndrome, and Cushing's disease. Despite living in the same small organ, they could hardly behave more differently. This article walks thr

Introduction Figure 1. The pituitary gland is often called the body's "master gland": beyond ACTH, it releases hormones that regulate growth, the thyroid, reproduction, water balance, and more. Cushing's disease arises when just one of these signals — ACTH, aimed at the adrenal cortex — becomes chronically overactive, while the gland's many other roles continue as normal (Merck Veterinary Manual). As our cherished pets enter their senior years, it is common to attribute chang