Q My boxer dog has a small round red lump just under his lower lip. It’s a bit smaller than a dried pea, smooth, but red, like a blood blister-type thing. How can I tell if it is nasty?

B Payne, Witney

A It is rarely possible to tell if a lump is nasty just by looking at it.

The key with any lump is to find out firstly if they are tumours, and then, what type of tumour; benign or malignant.

Benign tumours tend to be slow growing and do not spread around the body. Malignant tumours are the nasty ones; they tend to grow rapidly, invade the surrounding tissues and will eventually spread to other parts of the body and grow there too.

You need to have him checked by your vet who can take a sample (biopsy) of the lump and have it analysed to find out whether it is nasty or not. Sometimes a biopsy can be the entire lump.

The make-up of the lump will be a guide as to how best to approach the treatment; with benign lumps this can mean leave well alone and continue to monitor regularly or remove it (particularly if it is an awkward place e.g. the eyelid).

For malignant tumours surgery is almost always essential and this may be followed by radiation and/or chemotherapy.

Q My friend’s cat has been diagnosed with high blood pressure. I have two elderly cats – what are the signs? And can it be treated?

F Sloan, Headington

A High blood pressure (hypertension) is a fairly common problem mainly found in older cats.

Primary hypertension, occuring when there is no underlying disease, is rare.

Secondary hypertension is much more common and usually occurs as a complication of an over-active thyroid gland (hyperthyroid), kidney failure, obesity, diabetes or an adrenal gland tumour.

The signs are often those which can be explained by the primary disease like voracious appetite with weight loss for hyperthyroids, and increased drinking, variable appetite and vomiting with kidney disease.

Hypertension can cause bleeding into the eyes, damage to the retina, increased eye pressure, and enlargement of the heart. Bleeding in the brain can cause a loss of balance and sometimes fits. Kidney damage occurs in cats with no previous kidney issues.

The disease can be controlled by treating the underlying causes and following this up with constant monitoring.

Q I was hoping to give my mum some Easter lilies this year but apparently they are toxic to cats. She has two cats. Should I reconsider, are they really dangerous?

M Newman, Banbury

A This question seems to come up every year and the simple answer to your question is ‘yes’.

Very small amounts of any part of the Easter lily are toxic. The toxins damage the kidneys and the symptoms are those of kidney failure with vomiting, thirst, poor appetite, dehydration, weight loss and, eventually, death.

Best not to take the risk. Maybe give her Easter orchids or Easter daisies instead.