My dog has a persistent, firm, non-painful lump. What is it?

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! While this may be a bug bite, the texture appears slightly rough in the photo, so this may be a growth or mass. It is concerning that is has been present for a week, as a bug bite would have likely resolved by now. I recommend having Layla seen by a vet as soon as possible, especially because the area is red and near the mammary chain. Your vet can either remove the lump or take a small sample to determine exactly what it is. I hope this helps and that all is well!

This can be a benign lump, or it could be a lipoma or cyst. 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 his vet a call tomorrow to make him an appointment. Best of luck.

Thank you for contacting Pet Coach with your question about Drake! This lump could be from a bug bite, but it could also be a benign tumor of some sorts like a wart, or it could be a cyst. I would keep an eye on this lump for now. As long as it doesn't get bigger over the days leading up to his appointment on the 28th, it doesn't appear to bother him, there are no behavioral or appetite changes during this time, and/or you don't see any redness, warmth to the touch, or pus from the lump, it's fine to wait until he has his vaccine appointment. Should you observe any of the signs that I mentioned above, then I would take him into the vet sooner. Don't let him scratch at it, as that could make it worse. If he does start scratching at it, making it bleed, then it's bothering him and have him seen by a vet sooner. Good luck, I hope this helps!

This looks like it could be a growth and it's clearly bothering him if he's biting at it. 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 his vet a call to make him an appointment.

Hello. This is definitely a tumor, but it is impossible to say if it is a relatively harmless benign one, or a dangerous potentially aggressive malignant tumor. My guess is that this is very benign & will cause no great harm to Poochi. It can continue to grow, but may not ever affect her overall life. The best thing to do is to have your veterinarian perform a fine needle aspirate where a few cells are removed from the lump & examined under the microscope. Hopefully, all that will be seen are benign fat cells ( lipoma ), but if highly differentiated cells are seen, this would indicate that removal is advised. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! As dogs age, they can develop a variety of skin tumors, some benign (non-cancerous) and others cancerous. I do recommend all abnormal growths be evaluated by a veterinarian to determine if they are an issue or not. Many of these can be diagnosed with an analysis of a needle sample. Good luck!

Thank you for providing a picture of Mia's lump! It could be a benign tumor, a cyst, or a malignant tumor. Unfortunately in a senior dog, there is always a chance 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 it's cells, and examines the cells on a slide under a microscope. It's usually painless to the animal, and relatively quick to perform. I would take her into the vet in the next couple of days to have this lump examined and diagnosed so it can be treated as needed. Good luck, I hope this helps!