My dog has crusty lumps on her chest and thigh. Should I worry?

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I can see a yellow, crusted area under the haircoat. This can be caused by several bacterial or fungal diseases as well as mites. There are many underlying diseases that can predispose dogs to these conditions such as hormonal imbalances, nutritional deficiencies, food allergies, and immunosuppression. It is important to have Marley examined by a veterinarian who can perform tests to diagnose the condition and rule out any underlying disease. In the meantime, try to keep the area clean and dry and prevent her from licking or scratching it. I hope this helps!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This may be due to allergies for example though other possibilities like mange cannot be ruled out. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing his allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!

A small area like this could be inflammation as a result of an insect bite or wound, inflammation as a result of bacterial infection (though usually we would see more then just one lump) or a growth/tumor of the skin (we can have benign growths that don't cause any health concerns or growths that are malignant and require removal). Unfortunately without an exam and a sample (taken with a needle most often ) we can't tell you for certain the cause. If it isn't bothering your dog I would continue to monitor it daily. It is from an insect bite or wound it should resolve over the next couple weeks. If it is still there in a month or is increasing in size or changing appearance then a vet visit to investigate the area further is warranted.

It could be a pyoderma (skin infection). See your veterinarian for an exam. He or she may diagnose bacterial or fungal skin infection and can prescribe the appropriate medication afterwards. Treatment may be topical, systemic or a combination. Consider adding an essential fatty acid supplement, such as DermCaps or EicosaCaps, to her diet to promote healthy skin and coat. Place an e-collar (cone) on your dog if she is licking or chewing excessively.

This lump needs to be checked and analysed as there are many conditions and types of tumors that could look like that. take her to the vet, they will perform a fine needle aspiration on the growth and send it to the lab for analysis. when the result comes, the vet will advise what needs to be done according to the diagnosis.

Hi, and thanks for your question. This lump/bump/growth should be ideally examined by your local vet to have a diagnosis established. Your vet may want to perform an FNA (fine needle aspiration) or a biopsy to sample the bump and determine its underlying nature. Differentials would include skin cysts, infections, benign or more malignant type of tumors. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

Markey is lovely! This lump looks suspicious to me, it could just be an infected wart or cyst but I'm concerned it could be a type if skin tumour. To be safe I would take Marley to the vet and they can test the lumps by sampling with a needle and sending to the lab. If iris a tumour it is better to find out what it is now and then it can be dealt with before it gets bigger.