My dog has a growing pink bump. How risky is it to wait for removal?

I wish I could give you some piece of mind. Unfortunately it's impossible to say from a picture if it's benign or not. The fact that it's been there for almost a year now and hasn't become much larger is a good sign, but doesn't make cancer impossible. You are definitely making a good decision to have it removed. I'd recommend talking to Precious' vet about your anxiety and see if she could be scheduled sooner for surgery. Maybe a cancellation will come up. I hope you get some good new soon and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Good Morning, Sorry to see Baby Boo is having problems. This growth looks like it could be a small growth or tumor, especially since it appears raised and ulcerated and is not going away. Normally, your local veterinarian will examine the lesion and perform tests to see if it is in fact cancer, then recommend removal and laboratory tests to confirm what type of growth. In some cases, your veterinarian will simple recommend removal or an excision biopsy to send off for a histopathology report. In all cases, the sooner the growth is examined and removed the better chance of complete removal and complete recovery without it coming back. From my initial view of the picture, it looks like you need to get an appointment and have it check soon, but looks like everything will go great based on the location and age of your dog. Best of luck, and thank you for the question. Steve Popish, DVM.

Hi and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. If the lum has not gotten bigger and remains stable in size and character, I think it is safe to wait until the 18th for removal. Your veterinarian is likely concerned the mass is cancerous. Therefore she is likely recommending removal for a better diagnosis. It really could be anything, from an infected cancerous mass or an infected benign mass. Removal of the mass and sending it for histopathology would be the gold standard for diagnosis and prognosis.

I would consider having this removed and biopsied. My concern is it is already ulcerated and will most likely need either oral or topical medication but if you wait to remove it and it continues to grow it is going to be very difficult to remove. The reason for this is because there is not a lot of skin in that location so they may not be able to close it adequately. I would recommend at the time of removal to biopsy it to determine the true cause of that. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hello, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I'm sorry Mia is having this issue. If this was a simple injury surely it would have healed by now. The fact that it has been going for a year and is growing, I would recommend you have it surgically removed and sent off to a lab for histopathology. Due to the location of this mass, if it gets much larger it will be harder to remove as there is not a lot of extra skin to close a large incision in that area. This is just my opinion. What the mass actually is though, I cannot say just by looking at a photo. It may be benign but it could also be malignant. The histopathology will tell which it is. It could also be that she has a foreign body (maybe a splinter or something) under the skin that is festering so this may not be a mass at all. It is really difficult for me to say just by looking at the photo. It is a possibility however, I would have expected it to cause more of an infection by now if that was the case. Still a possibility though. You are always welcome to get a second opinion by another vet that can examine her in person. Remember, you know Mia best and need to be her advocate. If you are uncomfortable or have a bad feeling about something then voice those concerns. In my opinion it is always better to be safe than sorry. If you are worried then removing the mass is the best option. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Hi there! From the photo the mass does appear to be a benign papilloma (wart). That being said, it is not easy to tell 100% from a photo. I would still recommend you take Jack to your vet for an exam just to be on the safe side. I do not think it's an emergency situation. While you are waiting to take him in for his exam be sure to monitor the mass closely for any drastic changes in shape or size. I hope this helps. Best wishes.

Without a physical exam or diagnostics, it is difficult to determine if this is something to worry over. Ideally, a fine needle aspirate or biopsy should be done to collect samples for pathology. This may provide a diagnosis. X-rays of the limb may be recommended to rule out bony involvement. Since you state it is growing, it should be removed before it becomes too large. As it is, that is a difficult area to close after a mass removal.