My dog has a black, scab-like growth on her side that keeps returning.

This lump requires ideally an immediate check up to determine its underlying nature. Given the treatment failure it is unlikely to be caused by an infection, and differentials would include skin cysts and benign or more malignant type of tumors. Your vet will probably take some samples from it to analyse the type of cells in it.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This could be a benign or malignant growth. That is may be why it came back after removing it. There is no way of knowing for sure without an examination though this represents a reason to seek veterinary care. This is usually determined with an examination and a fine needle aspirate (FNA) or a biopsy. Treatment depends on the findings up to that point. I recommend you have Rufus evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Good luck and have a good night!

I would recommend a vet visit for Marley. It may only be a cystic growth which is benign but dogs can develop melanoma or other cancers so having it assessed would be best. The vet may recommend a biopsy with histopatholigy to determine what the growth it. It is not an emergency that would need to be seen today but I would recommend having it evaluated soon. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

It sounds like this is some kind of skin growth. Dogs can develop melanomas of the skin along with many other benign growths. I would recommend having your vet take a look - they might recommend taking a sample with a small needle to determine what this might be, or they might recommend going ahead and removing it.

Lesions like this can be a few things including a healing wound, a skin tumor, an enlarged pore or a keratin horn. If this is a healing wound, you do not want to disturb it or it will delay healing. I recommend to check the area daily for the next 2 weeks. Skin wounds heal in 7-14 days so if the lesion is still present at that point, I recommend to have Lily Kate examined. Starting Lily Kate on an oral omega 3 fatty acid supplement may help to improve the over all condition of her skin but it may not change anything about the lesion. A skin tumor will need an aspirate to determine if it is cancerous or not, the other conditions require medical management or surgical removal to heal them. Make sure to protect the area from any licking or scratching. She may need to wear a shirt or an elizabethan collar (if she can reach the area to lick). I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

I see that Tyson is a boxer, and they can be prone to mast cell tumors. Of course this could be a scab, but without seeing him in person, I can't say for certain. Any suspicious lumps should be examined by the vet. The vet can perform a test called a fine needle aspirate on it. To do this, the vet sticks a small needle into the lump to get a sample of its cells, and examines the cells on a slide under a microscope. It's usually painless to the animal, and relatively quick to perform. Once the cause of the lump is diagnosed, the vet can discuss treatment options if needed. Give his vet a call in the morning to make him an appointment. I hope this helps.

This could be a skin infection caused by a fungus or bacteria or and old injury or bite and in worst case scenario it could be a tumor. Please have this examined by your veterinarian. If he suspects a tumor, he will likely want to remove it and send it in to determine whether it is malignant and your dog needs further treatment. If it is an infection your dog may need an antifungal or antibiotic ointment. It may just be a scab from an old wound and might need no treatment. Your vet will be able to determine that with a hands-on exam.