My dog has a growing skin tag. Can I remove it at home or see a vet?

Hello. You are correct, this is a skin tag, but a bit bigger than a tag. At this point, you have a pedunculated mass. About 99% of these are totally benign, but we do recommend removal just because they can continue to grow & become traumatized. Removal is curative. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

I am sorry to hear about Zoe. I would definitely recommend bringing her in to the vet to have this growth examined. If it is refilling with blood quickly it would be best to remove the growth surgically because we would be concerned there could be a large blood vessel associated with it and trauma could cause it to break open and have excessive bleeding. We would also want to be sure this is not a more serious growth than a skin tag because there are some more aggressive tumors of the skin such as cutaneous hemangiosarcoma that need to be treated more aggressively.

These growths look like skin tags in the pictures. We can never be 100% certain without a biopsy. If they keep breaking open and bleeding then I recommend removing them. The reason for removing them is just to stop him from scratching them and having them break open. Otherwise just keep the growths clean. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Thank you for the pictures. Sadly I do not think the growth is a skin tag. I don't like the color or the bubble protuberance. It still could be benign but it doesn't have the typical skin tag appearance. I would have it removed and biopsied. I wish you and Bam the best!

That does not appear to be a skin tag. It looks like a tumor. So the first step is finding out what it is. If he doesn’t tolerate anesthesia well you could ask your vet about possibly removing it with a local anesthetic or they could maybe freeze it off. There are no other options. It will not go away on its own. it needs to be surgically removed. Your dog may not have done one under one anesthesia protocol but may do ok with a different one.

I wouldn't call this a skin tag based on appearance alone, but it's still possible. I think it's more likely a sebaceous adenoma (a benign skin mass), but the only way to positively identify it is to surgically remove it and send it to the lab for analysis. I recommend talking to your veterinarian about the possibility of doing this. Below is a link to some information about the suspected tumor. https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/skin-sebaceous-gland-tumors I hope that helps and all is well with Tucker.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Thanks for the pictures! Some benign skin bumps, especially sebaceous adenomas can produce discharge. If the bump has been oozing puss and blood it is best to have your Vet re-evaluate it to either: 1) shave the fur, clean it and provide antibiotics or 2) discuss removing it since it has changed and now may continue to be a source of irritation and infection for Cooper. I hope this helps and I wish you and Cooper the best!