Diagnose this SQ mass

Test your knowledge with the September 2019 Brain Teaser

By Phil Zeltzman, DVM, DACVS, CVJ, Certified Fear Free

Answers:

  1. Actinomyces should make you think of a grass awn or foxtail foreign body.
  2. Excision of the mass is recommended. Postop, incision of the mass revealed small greenish plant debris. The pathologist therefore was able to confirm the suspicion of an abscess due to a foxtail.
  3. Foxtails are typically inhaled, especially in hunting dogs. They can then migrate through soft tissues to a local area (such as in this patient) or to great distances, including the abdomen.