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My dog had growths removed. Do benign tumors always grow slowly?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Dachshund | Male | unneutered

Do benign tumors always grow slow? My 5 (almost 6) year old dog just got two removed this morning and they’re being sent to the lab to get checked if they’re cancerous or not. I’m very worried, the vet seemed super cold about it and said it’s probably benign considering his age but even still I’m a little freaked out. These tumors were two small ones on his penis and we didn’t notice when they started to form so I have no clue if they were there awhile and we didn’t notice or what.

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Sara Farmer, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on June 6th, 2018

The rate of growth does not necessarily correlate to malignancy - some benign tumors can appear suddenly (such as a histiocytoma) and some malignant tumors can grow slowly (such as a soft tissue sarcoma). I will say that I would agree that the masses in your picture look benign, but my eyes aren't microscopes and ultimately the pathologist will be able to determine what these masses are. Try not to worry too much over the next few days - you'll have an answer soon!

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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