My 2-year-old Pomeranian has a hard lump that's getting bigger.

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I'm sorry to see that your dog is getting these bumps. Any bump or mass on a dog should be examined by a veterinarian in person. Your vet can perform an exam and a fine-needle aspirate of the mass - where he/she uses a needle and syringe to sample cells from the mass and look at them under a microscope. This way, your veterinarian can determine what type of mass that is and then recommend treatment. I hope this is helpful!

This does seem rather small in size and could very well be an insect bite. Since it isn't really bothering him, I would recommend monitoring this for now to see if this will spontaneously resolve If it is still present after 2 weeks or worsens at any time, then its best to get your vet to take a look at this on physical exam. A growth like this is either going to be a bug bite, cyst, or tumor. I hope that your pet Rocky resolves this skin lesion soon! Best of luck moving forward. Take care.

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Ryder. This lump could be a cyst or a benign growth. 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. Give his vet a call to make him an appointment. I hope this helps!

This could be a hematoma, a cyst or a tumor. The most common tumors in this location would be a fatty tumor, which usually is benign. However the only way to determine what kind of mass this is is to take Rocky to your veterinarian for an exam. 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.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! These could be benign or malignant growths. There is no way of knowing for sure without an examination though this represents a reason to seek veterinary care. This is usually determined with an examination and a fine needle aspirate (FNA) or a biopsy. Treatment depends on the findings up to that point. I recommend you have your pup evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Good luck and have a good day!

Hello, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Is that supposed to be the same growth in both photos? The growth if the first photo looks suspicious for a malignant tumor. The tissue around the mass is swollen and the mass itself is raised and ulcerated; both can be signs of a malignancy. I cannot tell you for sure though just by looking at a photo. The second photo looks like a benign wart. In general, any new lumps/bumps should be examined by your vet. The first photo looks worrisome and I think you should have it checked in the next few days.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. I would not suspect this to be a cancerous mass. This could be a cyst from an impacted hair follicle from when she was rubbing her nose in daycare. I would monitor this for the next 2-3 weeks and if it does not resolve, I would have a veterinarian examine it so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. Certainly if it worsens during the next 2-3 weeks I would have this seen sooner. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further!