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My dog has a growing bump. Should I be worried and see a vet now?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Small (up to 22lb) | Female | spayed

My dog is an 11 year old jack wrestle terrier and in May/June I noticed a small bump on her chest area. Not knowing much about bumps on dogs personally, I assumed she got a fox tail sticker stuck in her. It's been there for almost 2 months now and it's seemed to have grown, I plan to take her to the vet this weekend but I want to know, should I be really worried about her and take her to the vet tomorrow instead of waiting a week?

4 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Dr. Leigh, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on July 16th, 2017

As long as she is otherwise acting ok, it is not growing rapidly, and/or has a discharge then you could wait and take her this weekend. Your vet can do a needle aspirate to help determine the cause and determine if the lump needs to be removed or treated.

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS
Veterinarian
Published on March 14th, 2017
This bump on Missy could be a cyst, a benign tumor, or a malignant tumor. 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 have Missy seen by the vet today or tomorrow to have the lump examined and diagnosed to it can be treated as needed.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Andrea M. Brodie, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on January 12th, 2019
This may be an abscess, a cyst or a tumor. You should have it examined by your veterinarian, as it is not possible to distinguish these by just looking at a photo. An abscess can usually be treated with antibiotics and/or be lanced, and a cyst can be evacuated. To identify a tumor, your vet may want to do a fine needle aspirate (he takes some material from the bump with a needle and then looks at it under the microscope) to determine whether the mass is concerning.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By David Elbeze, DVM, MRCVS
Veterinarian
Published on October 11th, 2018
I would not recommend waiting a month. This growth needs to be checked and analysed as there are many conditions and types of tumors that could look like that. take Sasha to the vet, they will perform a fine needle aspiration on the growth and send it to the lab for analysis. when the result comes, the vet will advise what needs to be done according to the diagnosis.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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My dog has a firm, painless lump, but acts normal. Should I worry?

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