My dog has a squishy lump on his side. Is it serious? What to do?
This lump on Oliver could be a cyst, an abscess, a lipoma (benign fatty tumor), or another type of benign tumor. In a dog his age, it would be rare for it to be malignant. Regardless, this is something that should be checked out 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'd make an appointment with the vet for him on Monday to have this lump examined and diagnosed so it can be treated as needed. Best of luck, I hope this helps!
Updated on September 23rd, 2025