My dog has an ear mass. Should I wait 10 days or get it removed?

Hi and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. If the lum has not gotten bigger and remains stable in size and character, I think it is safe to wait until the 18th for removal. Your veterinarian is likely concerned the mass is cancerous. Therefore she is likely recommending removal for a better diagnosis. It really could be anything, from an infected cancerous mass or an infected benign mass. Removal of the mass and sending it for histopathology would be the gold standard for diagnosis and prognosis.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I do not think the mass has anything to do with being bitten in the area. It looks like a sebaceous adenoma form your picture (benign). It is very small and I recommend, if Lilly is a calm dog, removing it locally with lidoacine and a punch biopsy. It looks smaller than 8mm which makes it easy to take off with out anesthesia. If you decide not to take it off, I think that is fine. Dogs that form sebaceous adenomas tend to form more throughout their lives. Sometimes the dogs will lick or irritate them prompting owners to want to remove them. I hope this helps and I wish you and Lilly the best!

That does look to be a mass. A mass is a collection of cells and can be benign (inflammation, cyst, some tumors) or a malignant tumor. Given the age of your dog this may be a histiocytoma, but as many skin tumors can look alike the best plan to confirm this is for your vet to perform a needle aspirate for cytology. That way you will know for sure if this can be monitored or if it needs any therapy. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

This looks like a wart or benign mass from the photo. Usually malignant tumors grow more quickly, and are not as well defined as this. The only way to know for sure though is a biopsy. If he continues to irritate the growth then certainly I would have it removed and biopsied. If you wish to monitor it I recommend taking a photo and measuring it at least monthly so you’ll know it it starts to grow or become more inflamed. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Boone.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! 2 weeks is generally not too long to wait. I recommend you keep a close eye on the mass. If it appears to be getting significantly larger before your surgery appointment, have Lucky evaluated sooner. Otherwise, this should be ok. Good luck and have a great day!

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.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It looks like a benign growth called a histiocytoma. These usually go away on their own after 3-4 months. I would recommend having a vet look at it and confirm. If it is, leave the swelling alone. It doesn’t need to be cleaned or have medication applied to heal it. Good luck and kisses to Boy Boy!