My dog has a growing ear lump and is lethargic. Could it be cancer?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I’m sorry to hear Bella has a bump on her ear. I do recommend all new growths new evaluated by your regular veterinarian to determine if they are malignant (cancer) or not. I would keep your appointment, but if you are very concerned you could call and see if they have any earlier availabilities. Good luck!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor guy! This can certainly be just an abscess due to an infection. However, it is possible that there is an underlying cancer which is why this keeps occurring. I think this is less likely to be true and this is more likely just an abscess that needs to be treated. If this has improved on the therapies that Kronk is on at this time then I would follow the course. If he is not improving, they should consider submitting the wound fluid to a laboratory to check for the possibility of a resistant infection that may need to be treated with a different antibiotic. Otherwise, they should sample that tissue inside and submit to a laboratory for histopathology to check for the possibility of underlying cancer. The facts that there are lesions in different places makes allergies possible. I am hoping for a speedy recovery!

Hello. Because of this lesions' change in size & color, I would recommend just having it removed. It looks like a melanoma, but would need histopathology to definitively diagnose it. It is small so removal should be pretty easy. This would be a good time to have your veterinarian take a good look deep into Moka's ears. You may not see any infection, but there could be inflammation or even a foreign body like a grass awn down near the ear drum. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thank you for providing a picture of Lexi's lump. From the appearance, it does look characteristic of a benign growth but I can't say for certain without seeing her in person. At her age, there is always a chance a lump could be malignant. 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. I'd give her vet a call to make her an appointment. I hope this helps!

No, unfortunately it doesn't mean the the lump isn't cancer. The only way to rule out cancer is to take a sample of the cells of the tumor either with a fine needle aspirate or biopsy, and examine those cells under a microscope. These tests will help rule in or rule out cancer. I would speak to your vet tomorrow about doing these tests on Chalkachon's lump.

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear about Bertie. Lumps generally fall into a few broad categories including growths/tumors which can be benign (not cancer) or malignant (cancer), granulomas which are a collection of inflammatory cells, abscess/infection, among others. In young dogs, a common benign tumor called a histiocytoma can develop. These are raised growths, often pink and somewhat flat like a button. These growths oftentimes resolve on their own without treatment. I would advise that your veterinarian take a look at Bertie. They can get a detailed history and do a complete physical exam focusing on the area of the growth, They may advise diagnostics such as a fine needle aspirate or a biopsy of the growth to determine what it is. If they suspect a histiocytoma they may just advise monitoring the area but to also be on the lookout for any scratching of the ear/growth. Once a diagnosis is obtained or suspected, a sound treatment plan can be discussed. The ear is a tricky area for growths and their removal because of the lack of skin to close over the incision if they are removed. Thus, a growth in this area warrants a quick analysis by your vet. Good luck with Bertie.

If this just showed up, I would recommend having a veterinarian take a look at this. It may be a type of tumor that needs to be removed called a mast cell tumor. I would err on the side of caution and have the veterinarian look at this and perform some additional testing on it. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.