My dog has a hard pea-sized knot behind her ear. Is it a pimple?

I am sorry to hear about your concern for Saki. It is a bit difficult to really see the lesion in these photos. If it looks like a whitehead pimple (has a whitish colored center) you can try cleaning it with an antibacterial soap such as Hibiclens (available at most drug stores) and applying a topical antibiotic ointment twice daily. If it is not resolving within a week or if it is increasing in size a vet visit is recommended. You can also try warm compresses for 15 minutes a few times a day if it looks like it might come to a head and drain. If it is more of a solid mass then it could be a small tumor. We can have benign (non harmful) tumors of the skin, but with any potential tumor it is safest to have your vet examine the area.

Dogs can get blackheads and other impacted pore issues. They can also get skin tumors, shot by BB guns and they have an eyebrow with a prominent muscle in that area. Something like this is best palpated by a veterinarian who should be able to tell you if this is pathologic or normal based on how it feels. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

This may be a cyst or a tumor, or a pimple (little abscess). You should have it examined by your veterinarian as tumors should be removed ASAP, especially if they are of a black color. An abscess can usually be treated with antibiotics and/or be lanced, and a cyst can be evacuated. Your vet may want to do a fine needle aspirate (he takes some material from the bump with a needle and then looks at it under the microscope) to determine whether the mass is concerning. You can also watch it for a few days and see whether it goes away again. I don't think it is anything terribly worrisome.

Hi there. What you are noting on Olivia's ear is likely just a little pimple under the skin. Dogs can form these, especially in areas like an ear flap where the skin in thin. Usually these are nothing to worry about, unless they begin to grow or irritate the dog. I would just monitor for now and see what happens. It may even just go away. I hope that helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! The area in the picture looks like an area of what I would call excoriation or skin irritation usually seen when a dog scratches an area extensively due to itching. The yellowish area can be a pimple or what we call a pustule (a pimple containing pus). Pimples and pustules are usually raised lesions, extending up from the skin. It's a little difficult making out much detail in the picture. Sometimes damaged areas of skin turn yellowish like that and are usually flat in appearance, not raised up like a pimple/pustule. I hope this helps.

I am sorry to hear that Love isn’t doing well. The picture looks like a possible abscess. If a veterinarian is not a possibility then I would encourage you to warm compress the area several times a day with warm water and Epsom salts if you have them. I would, however, encourage you to have her evaluated by a veterinarian as soon as possible. She likely needs antibiotics and it may get worse if left untreated. Best of luck and I hope she improves soon. Thank you for using Pet Coach.

This isn’t a pimple. It is a small mass in the top layer of the skin. It could be a cyst, a wart, or a benign or cancerous growth. The only way to know for sure is to have your vet collect a sample with a needle to examine under a slide or to remove the whole mass and send it to the lab for evaluation. Until that happens, you can watch it for changes in size, color, texture, etc. If you notice any changes, I would call your vet to see if they can get you in sooner.