My dog has a big growth, but can't tolerate anesthesia. What can I do?

Unfortunately, this is not likely to be something that you can do at home - cryosrugery is occasionally used for lesions like this in dogs, but this is not something that most general practitioners would have the necessary equipment to do. Over-the-counter products for human warts (like Dr. Scholl's "Freeze Off") are not approved for use on dogs, and would not be expected to be effective on sebaceous adenomas because these are quite different from warts at the cellular level - it's more likely that they would become irritated and inflamed by the treatment, rather than being successfully frozen off. I have never seen any other successful option for these growths apart from surgical removal as needed, unfortunately. If the growths are quite small, it may be possible to remove them with a local anesthetic and possibly a bit of light sedation - you could certainly talk with your vet about this option if you are concerned about costs, or risks of anesthesia.

The lump looks like it may be a possible skin growth or even abscess (infection under the skin). Skin growths tend to be benign, however it is best to have the area looked at by your vet. Your vet can likely take a sample of the area without sedation/anesthesia for testing to see what treatment (if any) needs to be done. Your vet can also examine Luke and perform any bloodwork if needed to determine if it would be safe to remove the lump under anesthesia, if needed.

That is not something you can do at home as it probably has a good blood supply and will bleed a lot if not surgically removed. This shouldn’t be an emergency procedure so I recommend getting an estimate for the growth removal and saving up to get it done soon. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Caine.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is hard to see well in this picture but this could be a benign or malignant growth. This is often differentiated by a test called a fine needle aspirate (FNA) which is a pain free, inexpensive and easy procedure which in most cases will help reach a diagnosis. Sometimes a biopsy is needed for a definitive diagnosis. There is no at home therapy for growths. I recommend that you have her evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. I am really hoping for something benign. There is a chance that this is benign and does not need any therapy. Good luck and have a good day!

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. Just because he has a heart murmur does not mean he cannot go under anesthesia. There are also other methods such as using a local anesthetic to numb the area and removing it while he is awake if the heart is that much of a concern. Special precautions are taken wi dogs that have a heart murmur and need anesthesia. I have placed many dogs with heart murmurs under anesthesia and have never had any complications. I've even done my fair share of patients in congestive heart failure under anesthesia and they have done well. I would discuss with you vet the other options to remove this besides anesthesia if you are uncomfortable putting him under. You can also discuss freezing the cyst with your vet. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Yes, it is a tumour. I would have it rechecked and have it sampled to see what kind of tumour it is. All skin lumps are tumours, but some are completely harmless, some can spread locally, others can spread to different parts of the body. A small test, such as a fine needle aspirate, might give you more of an idea. Good luck !

Yes, this may just be a benign growth like a skin tag, but I cannot make a definitive diagnosis without seeing him in person. 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 its cells, and examines the cells on a slide under a microscope. It's usually painless to the animal, and relatively quick to perform. Once the cause of the lump is diagnosed, the vet can discuss treatment options if needed. I hope this helps!