My dog has a fast-growing lump she keeps licking. Is it cancer?

Non-ractive warts and other growths which do not cause the dog to chew on them are usually not of concern provided they do not grow, or grow very slowly and are not oozing a discharge, bleeding or causing infection. That said, every growth should be examined by a veterinarian, as it could indeed be malignant. Previously benign masses can also turn into malignant masses. As for cancer cells spreading in the body from being ingested: that would depend on the cancer. If the mass is cancerous and just in the skin, it is likely that removing it with a good margin (healthy tissue surrounding it) may be curative. Your veterinarian will have to examine the mass and palpate it and may want to remove it right away, or do a fine needle aspirate to determine whether it is indeed a cancer. Since it is bothering your dog and Nisha is chewing it , there is a chance that it could get infected, another reason to have it examined ASAP.

Poor girl. Because this mass is open and seems to be bothering her I would highly consider having this mass removed surgically. Sometimes if the mass is small (less than 2 cm's) we can do a sedative on the pet and quickly remove these. However if it is a larger mass then general anesthesia may be required. She also needs to be placed on oral antibiotics to keep this area from getting infected and daily cleaning of the mass as well. Sterile saline flushes can help keep this area relatively clean and then an e-collar placed on her can help prevent licking. If surgery isn't an option for you, then medical management with antibiotics, e-collar and regular cleanings may allow proper healing of the area, but in most cases surgical removal is the best option. Best of luck!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sadly a lot of skin masses can look the same. It could be a Mast Cell tumor (which is a cancerous growth that should be removed and biopsied), a cyst, a histiocytoma (though he is a bit old for that, they end to occur in younger dogs). Any skin bumps that is new, rapidly grows, changes or is possibly infected should be checked by a Vet. They can decide whether it should be aspirated and sent to the lab or removed surgically to send the entire specimen for biopsy. I hope this helps and I wish Boston the very best!

That looks ulcerated. This could be a benign lump, but it 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. Give Buddy's vet a call to make him an appointment, and put an Ecollar on him to keep him from licking it. You can get one from a pet store. Best of luck.

I see what you mean about the growth. I would be concerned about it because it's clearly bothering Apple Crisp, and the fact that she is an older dog. Any growth in an older dog has a chance of being 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. Give her vet a call to make her an appointment. Until she sees the vet, put a cone on her to keep her from licking the growth. I hope this helps!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I think you should have this checked. The fact that it was previously known to be benign, does not mean that now it cannot be malignant. If it has gotten bigger, it would be great to sample it again. I recommend you have Lily evaluated by your veterinarian for a test called fine needle aspirate which is an easy, quick and pain-free procedure which in the majority of cases will help reach a diagnosis to identify what the best course of action is based on the findings. In some cases, a biopsy is needed for a diagnosis. If it truly is benign then removal is not necessarily recommended. However, if it is malignant and it has not spread to other locations, then surgical removal is recommended. Good luck! Keeping my fingers crossed that it is something benign.

I suspect your veterinarian is correct. When masses get to the point that they begin to ooze or break open, they need to be removed, even if they are not cancerous. Masses can outgrow their blood supply and this can be a reason to see that oozing. Masses can also get infected and this could cause that oozing. I recommend to play it safe and have Brian examined by his veterinarian today to make sure antibiotics are not needed. Make sure to protect the masses from itching, scratching or rubbing. Best of luck and please feel free to post any additional questions.