My dog has a large lump on his back, but no symptoms. What is it?

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.

This lump on Messi could be a cyst, a 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. Given that it has developed within the past 60 days and gotten as large as a baseball, I would give your vet a call first thing in the morning to make an appointment to have this seen and treated. Best of luck!

Hello, thank you for using PetCoach. Chances are that this is a sebaceous cyst. Sebaceous cysts are usually harmless, sack-like growths with a lining that is not cancerous. In dogs, most cysts develop from hair follicles. These cysts typically appear as single, clearly defined, firm or soft lumps located in the skin or just beneath it. They are often between 0.5 to 5 centimetres in size and may sometimes have a bluish colour. A cyst can release a thick, gray-to-yellow-brown cheesy substance if it bursts. Other terms for sebaceous cysts in dogs include infundibular or follicular cysts. The lump needs to have a fine needle aspirate (FNA)/cytology to be sure of that diagnosis. Here is a link about the procedure and why it is done. It does not require anesthesia. ( https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/cytology-fine-needle-aspiration-fna ) If it is a sebaceous cyst, it will be very obvious once the vet introduces the needle into the lump. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

This could be a seroma from an injury, a cyst, abscess or a tumor. Cysts and abscesses need to be drained by a vet. If your vet suspects a tumor, he will do a fine needle aspirate to determine whether it is a harmless lipoma, which does not need to be removed unless it is ulcerating or bothers the dog due to its location or size, or another tumor that needs to be removed. Please make an appointment with your veterinarian for an exam of the mass.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Rocky! I recommend any mass that is changing: getting bigger, changing color or is bleeding/infected be evaluated by a Vet. The bump looks small and likely can be removed with a local block of lidocaine and a punch biopsy is Rocky would sit still enough. Possible causes are sebaceous adenoma, other cyst, hemaratoma or less likely a mast cell tumor. A lot of benign and cancerous masses can look the same. I wish Rocky the best!

Poor guy. This is a skin mass and needs to be tested by your vet to determine what kind of tumor this is. If it seems to be growing uncontrollably then having it surgical removed should be considered. Inquire with your vet about if Rupert is a good surgical candidate and what it would entail getting this removed. Best of luck with Rupert moving forward. Best wishes and take care.

These skin lumps can arise from a few different causes and they are usually not a big concern. The first thing I would check is if Juna has had any vaccines or injections lately. These are often give in the back near the shoulder blades and can sometimes swell a bit. They also sometimes get these from bites or other trauma. In these cases, the lump is just some fluid buildup under the skin. These usually start going down within a couple of weeks. Other causes can be from a blocked gland, fly warble, abscess or a tumor. You can safely wait a week or two to see if it goes away on its own. If it continues to grow of doesn't go down, then it's best to take her into the vet to get it checked out.