My 11-year-old Yorkie has an irritated lump near his anus. What is it?

Hi Dhyanna! At such a young age, it's not likely Muffin has a malignant tumor; even if it was one, you would have seen symptoms of malignancy by now. It could be a benign tumor that is slowly growing. The only way to know for sure is to have Muffin seen by a vet for this. The vet can diagnose what is causing this lump and how best to treat it. I would take her into the vet in the next couple of days.

I am afraid I cannot see a lump on this photo, however if you can feel a lump near the anus it is likely a full or impacted anal sac. *You may need to take your dog to a vet to have it expressed, if he is bothered by it. Usually dogs start scooting on the floor when they have a bothersome anal sac.

Hi there! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! These look classic for perianal gland tumors. This is very common in intact dogs. The majority of these tumors are benign though a small percentage of them are malignant. I recommend you take him to your veterinarian for a test called a fine needle aspirate which can help distinguish these tumors from other more concerning tumors. If it truly is a perianal gland tumor, most of the time they resolve or greatly improved by neutering the dog as they are driven by hormones. If they are not bothering him, this may be enough. In cases when they are starting to bother the dog, you can also consider removal. Feel free to request a consult with me if wanting more information on the next steps. Good luck with your pup!

It's a little difficult to tell from your picture alone - being able to examine and touch a lump in person makes it much easier to determine what it is. This could be a skin tumor, a small abscess or inflammatory nodule, or a lesion from something like contact hypersensitivity. I would recommend having this lump examined by your veterinarian since it looks red and possibly like there is discharge. If he is licking or chewing at the lump you should put an e-collar on him until you can see a veterinarian. They may know what it is after being able to examine it or may recommend taking an aspirate sample using a small needle to look for cells under the microscope.

This behavior in Brownie can be indicative of an impacted anal sac, and the lump next to his anus indicates that as well. The anal sac will need to be expressed if it's impacted, so I would take him into the vet now during normal business hours. It's important to have it expressed before it ruptures.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding your Shih Tzu. Based on your description, he may have an anal gland abscess. I recommend that he sees a veterinarian today. If an infection is present, he may need surgery to treat the wound. He would also be sent home with medications such as antibiotics and pain medications. In the meantime, place an E-collar on him to prevent any licking of the area. I hope this information helps!

This hard mass could be due to anal sac impaction or it could be an anal gland tumor, both of which would cause him to drag his bum on the carpet. Given Angelo's age, cancer is unfortunately always a possibility, and I would not squeeze this mass to try to relieve the pressure. I also would not wait until Tuesday to get him into a vet. If it's an anal sac impaction, it can rupture, and it's best to have them expressed as soon as possible. If it's an anal sac tumor, early treatment is imperative, as this is a malignant and very aggressive cancer. I would have Angelo seen by a vet first thing on Monday.