What is this bump on my dog's face? Is it a tick? Should I worry?

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. Nusing from the picture, it appears as though she has a tick that is engorged on her face. It is hard to tell for sure because the puctures are slightly blurry but the shape and color has me thinking this is a tick. You can remove this but make sure to remove the head as well. There are videos on how to do this online. Also, you can have this looked at my a veterinarian to make absolute certain this is a tick before trying to remove it. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This could be a benign or malignant growth. There is no way of knowing what it is just based on its appearance. This is often differentiated by a test called a fine needle aspirate (FNA) which is a pain free, inexpensive and easy procedure which in most cases will help reach a diagnosis. Sometimes a biopsy is needed for a definitive diagnosis. I recommend that you have her evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. I am really hoping for something benign. Good luck and have a good day!

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! While that does look like it could be a tick, it is difficult to see from the photo. Ticks are also usually found in haired areas of skin rather than the lips. Because it is not clear what this is, I do not recommend removing it from Charlie yourself. Especially because of the proximity to the mouth and possibility that Charlie may bite if painful. If this is truly a tick, Charlie should be seen by a vet, as ticks can transmit Lyme disease and other blood parasites, and he may need to be put on prophylactic antibiotics. If this is a mass, your vet can elect to remove it under light sedation or anesthesia and send it off to lab as a biopsy. I recommend having Charlie seen by a vet as soon as you are able to and hope all is well!

I agree that this looks like an engorged tick on Bella's neck. Try to grab at the base of the attachment either firmly with a pair of tweezers or with your fingers, then smoothly and confidently pull it straight out. Your goal is to pull it straight out so that none of the mouth parts are left behind in the skin. If you're unable to remove it, seek veterinary attention for help in removing it. I can't tell what type of tick it is from the angles in this picture, but remember that ticks can transmit a variety of different infectious diseases. Due to this, I would have a blood test run on Bella in about 6 months to check for some of the more common diseases, like Lyme, Ehrlichia, or Anaplasma. If you don't already have her on a good flea and tick preventive medication, be sure to start one right away. I hope that everything goes well!

Hi, I'm Dr. Johnson! Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It's great that you posted pictures because they can be very helpful. The only thing I can't tell from the picture is where the skin bump is located on Arny's body. If it is on his belly it could be an irregular nipple. Otherwise to me it doesn't appear to be a tick. Skin tags are more dangly. It looks like a dermal (on top of the skin) bump. There are many types of skin bumps that can affect dogs- a lot are harmless: skin tags, hair follicle cysts, sebaceous adenomas, etc. And some are more concerning. Sadly a lot of the time we can't tell from just looking at them. If it suddenly appeared or grows rapidly, having it aspirated by your Veterinarian can give you a better idea of what it might be. An aspirate is a quick procedure where your vet uses a needle and syringe to suck cells from the bump. Then slides are usually sent to the lab for a pathologist to look at. If it comes back concerning then it could be removed. I hope I could help! Have a great day!

Hi and thanks for posting on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is hard to say exactly what the cause of the bump may be without examining Lilly first. It may be from a tick bite or could be a small mass such as a cyst. From the picture, it does not appear to be a tick. Trifexis does not cover ticks. You may consider placing Lilly on another product that covers ticks. Currently there is no one product that covers heart worms, fleas, and all 4 types of ticks. I would recommend NexGard or Simparica that covers fleas and ticks very well in addition to her regular monthly heart worm preventative. I would keep an eye on the bump, however. If it gets larger or you notice any discharge or redness, I would take Lilly into her veterinarian to have it evaluated. I hope this helps!

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Ghost. Yes, this does look like it could be an engorged tick. Make sure he is up to date on his flea and tick medication. I hope this helps!