My dog has a gum growth. What is it, and how can I pay for vet care?

This could be an abscess, a cyst or a swelling from an injury. Your puppy really needs to be seen by a veterinarian as this is likely very painful and, if the swelling expands, it could compromise breathing. There are quite a few organizations which can help with vet fees, some even cover emergency veterinary care. Here is a list: https://www.youcaring.com/blog/2016/need-help-with-vet-bills https://www.avma.org/public/YourVet/Pages/Financial-assistance-for-veterinary-care-costs.aspx https://bestfriends.org/resources/financial-aid-pets https://www.paws.org/cats-and-dogs/other-services/help-with-veterinary-bills/ http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/trouble_affording_veterinary_care.html?credit=web_id98635957 American Animal Hospital Association  http://www.aahahelpingpets.org/ "Through the AAHA Helping Pets Fund, veterinary care is possible for sick or  injured pets even if they have been abandoned or if their owner is experiencing  financial hardship." Angels 4 Animals  http://www.angels4animals.org/  "Our services range from financial aid to complete treatment  to those pets and pet owners in need." Care Credit  http://www.carecredit.com/  A credit card company for health care, including veterinary care.  "With a comprehensive range of plan options, for  treatment or procedure fees from $1 to over $25,000, we offer a plan  and a low monthly payment to fit comfortably into almost every  budget." Feline Veterinary Emergency Assistance (FVEAP)  http://www.fveap.org/sys-tmpl/door/  "Seniors, People with disabilities, People who  have lost their job, Good Samaritans who rescue a cat or kitten - any of these  folks may need financial assistance to save a beloved companion." The Feline Veterinary Emergency Assistance Program is a nonprofit 501  (c)(3) organization that provides financial assistance to cat and  kitten guardians who are unable to afford veterinary services to save  their companions when life-threatening illness or injury strikes. God's Creatures Ministry  http://www.all-creatures.org/gcm/help-cf.html  "This fund helps pay for veterinarian bills for those who need help." Help-A-Pet  http://www.help-a-pet.org/home.html  "Our efforts focus on serving the elderly, the disabled, and the  working poor." IMOM  http://www.imom.org/  "We are dedicated to insure that no  companion animal has to be euthanized simply because their caretaker  is financially challenged." The Pet Fund  http://thepetfund.com/  "The Pet Fund is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit association that  provides financial assistance to owners of domestic animals who need  urgent veterinary care." United Animal Nations  http://www.uan.org/lifeline/index.html  "The mission of LifeLine is to help homeless or recently rescued  animals suffering from life-threatening conditions that require  specific and immediate emergency veterinary care. We strive to serve  Good Samaritans and rescue groups who take in sick or injured  animals. In certain cases, LifeLine can also assist senior citizens  and low-income families pay for immediate emergency veterinary care."

I'm sorry that Ellie has a lump that is getting bigger! I see that she isn't spayed, and if the lump is located on her tummy, I would be concerned that she has a mammary tumor. Those are common in unspayed dogs, and 50% of them are malignant. She absolutely has to see a vet as soon as possible for it. I would see if you can borrow money from family and friends to afford a vet, and I can give you some resources that may help. You can see if your vet accepts payment plans, if there is a low cost clinic in your area, or you can apply for Care Credit online. There is also an organization called Red Rover that give grants for treatment of sick animals, and you can see if you qualify for one of their grants. Best Friends also has a list of resources that offer financial assistance on their website. http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/trouble_affording_pet.html?credit=web_id91754962 https://www.redrover.org https://www.carecredit.com http://bestfriends.org/resources/financial-aid-pets http://lessonsfromaparalyzeddog.com/when-pet-owners-cant-afford-veterinary-bills/ God's Creatures Ministry helps pay for veterinarian bills for those who need help.
 The Onyx & Breezy Foundation has many programs including helping people with medical bills. They are a good resource for information.
 Brown Dog Foundation provides funding to families with a sick pet that would likely respond to treatment, but due to circumstances, there is not enough money immediately available to pay. IMOM is dedicated to insure that no companion animal has to be euthanized simply because their caretaker is financially challenged. I hope one of these resources helps you afford a vet, please take her into one as soon as you can.

Hi Leanne. Unfortunately in a dog Baxter's age, there is always a chance any growth could be malignant, so this does have to be checked out by a vet. If paying for a vet is an issue, you can see if your vet accepts payment plans, if there is a low cost clinic in your area, or you can apply for Care Credit online. There is also an organization called Red Rover that give grants for treatment of sick animals, and you can see if you qualify for one of their grants. Best Friends also has a list of resources that offer financial assistance on their website. http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/trouble_affording_pet.html?credit=web_id91754962 https://www.redrover.org https://www.carecredit.com http://bestfriends.org/resources/financial-aid-pets http://lessonsfromaparalyzeddog.com/when-pet-owners-cant-afford-veterinary-bills/ http://www.dogheirs.com/resources-affordable-veterinary-care/ Check out these resources to see if one can help you. Best of luck.

Oh no, poor Peaches! She does need to see a vet for this, as it could be a cyst, an abscess, benign tumor, or a malignant tumor. 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 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 can give you some resources that may help you afford a vet for Peaches. You can see if your vet accepts payment plans, if there is a low cost clinic in your area, or you can apply for Care Credit online. There is also an organization called Red Rover that give grants for treatment of sick animals, and you can see if you qualify for one of their grants. Best Friends also has a list of resources that offer financial assistance on their website. http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/trouble_affording_pet.html?credit=web_id91754962 https://www.redrover.org https://www.carecredit.com http://bestfriends.org/resources/financial-aid-pets http://lessonsfromaparalyzeddog.com/when-pet-owners-cant-afford-veterinary-bills/ God's Creatures Ministry helps pay for veterinarian bills for those who need help.
 The Onyx & Breezy Foundation has many programs including helping people with medical bills. They are a good resource for information.
 Brown Dog Foundation provides funding to families with a sick pet that would likely respond to treatment, but due to circumstances, there is not enough money immediately available to pay. I hope one of these resources helps you!

Poor Daisy! It is difficult to determine without examining her if this large lump is due to an abscess of her anal gland or a mass. If an infection is present, antibiotics will be needed and these can be quite painful. I do recommend taking her to the vet urgently before this lesion could rupture. Until you can take her to the vet, be sure to keep an e-collar (cone) on her to prevent Daisy from licking at her hind end, as this could make matters worse. I understand your financial concerns, but fortunately there are some resources available to help. Care Credit (carecredit.com) can provide financing options. There are also many non-profit organizations that provide financial assistance for veterinary care (redrover.org, humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/trouble_affording_pet.html?credit=web_id91754962, bestfriends.org/resources/financial-aid-pets, lessonsfromaparalyzeddog.com/when-pet-owners-cant-afford-veterinary-bills/, https://getyourpet.com). I hope that all goes well for Daisy!

Without a photo of the masses, I cannot tell you whether these may be cysts, tumors or abscesses. If these masses are fluctuating. they will likely be cysts or hematomas (if cold) or abscesses (if hot/inflamed/painful). If they are solid then they are likely tumors. You should have them examined by a vet. Cysts and abscesses can be evacuated, a hematoma will usually resolve by itself and a tumor should be biopsied to determine whether it is benign and can be left alone , or malign and may need to be removed. There are quite a few ways to get financial help with vet bills: https://www.youcaring.com/blog/2016/need-help-with-vet-bills https://www.avma.org/public/YourVet/Pages/Financial-assistance-for-veterinary-care-costs.aspx https://bestfriends.org/resources/financial-aid-pets https://www.paws.org/cats-and-dogs/other-services/help-with-veterinary-bills/ http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/trouble_affording_veterinary_care.html?credit=web_id98635957

Any growth needs to be checked and analysed as there are many conditions and types of tumors that could look like that. take her to the vet, they will perform a fine needle aspiration on the growth and send it to the lab for analysis. when the result comes, the vet will advise what needs to be done according to the diagnosis. If money is an issue please contact a dog charity in your area of living, they can help with costs of treatment in many cases. Many vets also have payment plans, and there is also a credit company that will land you money toward vet bills ( https://www.carecredit.com/vetmed/) .