My dog has a fluid-filled skin lump that's draining. What to do?

Hello, thank you for your question about Toby. I would NOT recommend draining this lesion at home! It is possible that the recent increase in size and the fluid area could be a secondary cyst. If Toby is otherwise acting normally and is not bothered by the area I think that it is ok to continue to monitor the area. If Toby is chewing/scratching at the area or seems uncomfortable I would recommend having him seen by your veterinarian. It is also possible that this area could have become infected and could require a course of antibiotics. Hope this helps, good luck!

Hello. It is difficult to say exactly what this is because cysts, small tumors & other benign skin growths can all look pretty similar. We do not recommend doing any squeezing on things like this because you could inadvertently introduce bacteria back into it & then you have a real problem. You should contact your veterinarian to schedule an appointment. Only after a hands-on examination can a plan be determined. One might be to just continue to watch this (without squeezing out the contents), or to remove it, send the tissues off for pathology, & make sure this is not something worrisome. I hope it is just benign, but it is better to know than worry. Thans for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Tootsie! I would worry it is an abscess. The skin looks red and bruised and the "water" you feel may be puss. Since Tootsie is so young that makes him more fragile than older puppies, meaning he may deteriorate quickly. I suggest you take him to the Vet for an exam and if they think it is an abscess then antibiotics can be provided. I hope this helps and I wish you all the best!

With it being close to the eye I would be careful with draining it. Your could try to put a warm damp cloth on it twice a day to see if that helps. If it isnt improving then I would take her to your vet for an exam. Your vet will be able to prescribe her some stronger ointment, oral antibiotics and drain it if needed. I hope this helps!!

It could be that Tucker has a cyst on top of his head. I would give the vet a call to make an appointment to have this checked out. If he does have a cyst, the vet can drain it in a sterile manner, and may want to do surgery to remove the cyst sac to prevent it from reoccurring. Best of luck, I hope this helps!

Hi Mickey! Unfortunately there was no picture attached to your post, but I will try to answer your question as best as possible. This swelling on Kane could possibly be a cyst, and those can burst and refill. The only way to know for sure is to have him seen by a vet. Should he have a cyst, removing it surgically would be best considering that it sounds like it's refilling. I hope this helps!

The problems with cysts is that they open reoccur, and typically need to be removed surgically. In addition, removing the fluid from a cyst should be done in a sterile manner, and I would be concerned that you may accidentally be introducing infection into the cyst yourself by pressing on it. I would take Akkiko into the vet first thing in the morning. The vet can drain any remaining fluid with a sterile needle and syringe, and can discuss removing it with you. There is also the chance it could be a malignant adenocarcinoma, so it is a good idea to have the vet biopsy it just to make sure it is benign.