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My dog has a dark purple lump on his back. Should I see a vet?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | American Eskimo Dog | Male | neutered | 20 lbs

My miniature American Eskimo dog has a dark purple lump on his lower back above his tail, it doesn't bother him at all but he likes it to be scratched. Is this serious?

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on January 15th, 2017

There is a potential for any lump to be serious, which is why I would recommend bringing Kola into the vet to have it examined. Lumps on dogs can be caused by cysts, abscesses, benign tumors, or malignant tumors. 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 it's cells, and examines the cells on a slide under a microscope. It's usually painless to the animal, and relatively quick to perform. I would have Kola seen by a vet on Monday or Tuesday.
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