My dog's long-standing fatty tumor now has sores. What should I do?

I recommend to take Greta to see her veterinarian. While most skin masses are benign, masses that a red/pink, hairless and raised are a concern for a malignant skin tumor called a Mast Cell tumor. It also appears as though this mass is ulcerated regardless and it needs to be removed. Once masses grow to the point of ulceration, they will heal and break open over and over again which can make them prone to infections not to mention oozing/bleeding. Just like with a human, the doctor will likely take a sample of the mass or remove the mass entirely and microscopically exam it. Thats the only way to know what it is accurately. In the mean time, protect the mass from trauma and wash it daily with an antibacterial hand soap (rinse it well). You can apply a small amount of coconut oil and rub it well into the skin. This may help the wound to heal a little faster. I hope this helps to point you in the right direction. Please feel free to post any further questions!

Poor guy. This does not appear to be just a lipoma (fatty tumor). I would highly recommend having Allie seen by your vet to get this tumor surgically removed and sent off for lab analysis to determine if this is a cancerous mass or a benign one. Hopefully it is benign and nothing to be worried about. The vet will likely place Allie on some antibiotics and pet friendly anti-inflammatory medication first to get the skin to calm down before surgical removal is done. But surgery is the best and often-times only option when a mass has gotten this large and has ulcerated. Until you can get her in, its best to clean this mass with Betadine diluted 50:50 with warm water to keep it from getting infected. Then rinsing with sterile saline from your local pharmacy. I hope that Allie's mass resolves soon! Best wishes and take care.

It is very likely this mass has changed from a lipoma (fatty deposit) to another kind of mass. For now its best to just clean it with Betadine diluted 50:50 with water, and then get your vet to either sample the mass again or go ahead with surgical removal of the mass. Hopefully it is still a benign (non-cancerous) tumor. Best of luck with Millie moving forward. Take care!

Poor Summer! This lesion looks like a fairly significant ulcerated mass that could be either benign or malignant. The only way to definitively diagnose this issue is through a fine needle aspirate and microscopic examination of cells, or a surgical biopsy. Summer needs to go to her vet for evaluation of this lesion and will likely need surgical removal of the lesion and a course of antibiotics to treat any infection that may have developed as a result of the ulceration. I hope that she's on the mend soon!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! These could be benign or malignant growths. Since these have remained present, it would be best to have them evaluated. 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!

The tumor has become very ulcerated and necrotic. It needs to be removed, likely by a specialist. In the meantime, she should wear a cone to prevent licking and a t-shirt to prevent it from rubbing on the ground. She may need antibiotics to treat any underlying infection and pain medication. I would have her assessed by a veterinarian asap.

an open and infected tumor should be removed. If it happens to be a lipoma (fatty lump) then this should be curative. If it happens to be another type of tumor, then your vet should do an x-ray of the lungs to check whether there are metastases. I think you should get a second opinion from another veterinarian or a veterinary oncologist.