My dog has an itchy lump on his side. Should I take him to the vet?

I would have Bentley seen by a vet tomorrow for this bump. It could be a cyst, a benign tumor, or a malignant tumor. Any suspicious bumps 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 bump 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. Once the cause of the bump is diagnosed, the vet can discuss treatment options with you, which may include removal of it.

This looks like a little skin wart which are usually nothing to worry about. It doesn't look red or infected at the moment. It could be that she has an underlying skin allergy that is causing the itching. If you are worried you should take her to the vet for an examination. Alternatively you could try giving her a daily antihistamine to see if that settles the itch.

I doesn't look like an insect bite. It could be a small wart or other mass. The only way to know for sure would be to have it examined by a vet and have a sample evaluated under the microscope. There is a type of tumor called a Mast Cell Tumor that can cause itching.

It's difficult to tell exactly what's going on here without seeing the lesion and being able to do some testing, but I am suspicious of a skin infections. These infections can be due to fungi, bacteria, parasites, or all of the above. There is often a primary problem that causes the itch, so if Maggie has been itching for a while, then it's best to get the source of the itch discovered by a vet. I'll give you a few tips for dealing with a skin infection, but if the lesion gets worse, or is not getting any better within a week of treatment, then I'd recommend you have a vet evaluate Maggie. I recommend doing the following every day until the skin appears normal again: 1) Clip the hair around the area and expose all of the lesions. 2) Wash the area with warm water and a medicated shampoo (can get this at the pet store) once a day. Use a cloth and gently wipe away the scabs. Do not scrub, because it will irritate the skin more. It's OK if all of the scabs do not come off in each washing. 3) Make sure the area is completely dry after washing. I hope that helps and all is well with Maggie.

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.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I do recommend all abnormal growths be evaluated by a veterinarian to determine if they are benign (non-cancerous) or not. Skin growths can be due to a variety of reasons, including allergies, infection, allergies, warts, or true tumors. What type of growth it is typically can be evaluated by a needle sample by your veterinarian, and then a treatment plan can be made, if needed. Good luck!

That looks ulcerated. This could be a benign lump, but it could be malignant. 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 Buddy's vet a call to make him an appointment, and put an Ecollar on him to keep him from licking it. You can get one from a pet store. Best of luck.