My dog has growing skin sores. Could it be cancer, not just allergies?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I would be very concerned that this is actually a skin cancer. This is something that can be checked by fine needle aspiration or biopsy. Treatment would depend on the findings. A veterinarian could at the very least start Kora on pain control medications as this is likely causing her pain. I am so sorry that she is going through this. I am really hoping they can help her. Best of luck!

Based on previous diagnostics I would proceed with a biopsy ( a larger sample) as well as a culture and sensitivity. If there is growth on the sample, I would proceed with a longer duration of antibiotics as indicated. It may be worthwhile in the interim to start a low dose of steroids to reduce any inflammatory/allergic response, but I would only start after collecting a good biopsy and culture. This could be an infection, but it is also possible that it is a type of neoplasia like lymphoma or mast cell and a larger sample is likely needed to determine.

In your picture this looks kind of like cutaneous mucinosis which is seen in Shar Peis but can also be seen with some other diseases as well. If it is not improving with the prescribed medications you may want to recheck with your vet or ask about referral to a dermatologist or other specialist.

I'd have to say that I'm concerned about that focal mass area that is pigmented black, but the rest of this lesion does not look like any type of skin cancer I have seen. If the vet is concerned that this is cancer, typically we debulk (remove as much as possible) or completely remove what we can before attempting chemotherapy. Chemotherapy is also best guided when we know exactly the type of tumor we are dealing with, as there are several types of cancers that can affect the skin of dogs. My advice would be to get a biopsy performed of this lesion and get an exact diagnosis before proceeding with treatment.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly due to allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing her allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor guy! This can certainly be just an abscess due to an infection. However, it is possible that there is an underlying cancer which is why this keeps occurring. I think this is less likely to be true and this is more likely just an abscess that needs to be treated. If this has improved on the therapies that Kronk is on at this time then I would follow the course. If he is not improving, they should consider submitting the wound fluid to a laboratory to check for the possibility of a resistant infection that may need to be treated with a different antibiotic. Otherwise, they should sample that tissue inside and submit to a laboratory for histopathology to check for the possibility of underlying cancer. The facts that there are lesions in different places makes allergies possible. I am hoping for a speedy recovery!

Hmm. This does sound bit more than just allergies. If the bloodwork results came back relatively normal and the allergies are not being controlled by conservative allergy medications prescribed by your veterinarian, then I would consider having a skin biopsy done. Skin biopsies are done on pets that have a more complicated skin disorder. Also your pet may require a specific, more advanced, blood test that goes beyond the regular baseline bloodwork. It would help if we could see your pets actual bloodwork, even though the vet said it was normal. Because even normal bloodwork can sometimes offer clues. I know it sounds like your pet requires lot of testing; however, if you desire to know for sure what the underlying problem is, you have to do more diagnostic testing than the initial screening tests. And finally, in an older pet unfortunately you also have to consider certain skin cancers as a cause of your pets illness. Especially if he seems to be losing weight over time.