My dog has a lump on his leg with dark fur. Should I worry about it?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This could be a benign or malignant growth. 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 Maddy evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Good luck and have a good night!

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

I do not see any photos attached to your question. If you would want to resubmit your question with the photos attached a Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach expert can help further. But just in general a skin mass could be benign (skin tag, etc) or malignant. Unfortunately without some sort of sampling (cytology or biopsy to collect cells) there is not a way to know for sure based on appearance. Small size, no growth, lack of ulceration, and freely moveable nature are certainly favorable characteristics. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It's hard to see the bump when the picture enlarges. Based on your description it could be a sebaceous adenoma which can have a brown dot in the center because they produce a waxy brown discharge. They are benign and some dog breeds grow a lot of them over time. Sadly many skin bumps can look the same. I always recommend when a new lump is found or an established one grows or changes to have it checked by your Vet. If it is small enough and Neeko is a calm dog some vets can remove skin masses with local anesthesia. I hope this helps and I wish Neeko the very best!

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.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This does not mean that he is getting cancer necessarily. It could be a change in pigmentation. The lump may be a benign or malignant growth. This could even be an infection. This cannot be completely assessed just by looking at pictures or a description and usually requires sampling such as fine needle aspiration to determine its origin. Sometimes a biopsy is needed for a definitive diagnosis. I recommend that you have him evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. I am really hoping for something benign. Good luck and have a good day!

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It sounds like you may have attempted to attach a photo to this question but there is nothing here for us to see. If the area is not bothering Coco, I recommend monitoring it for the next few days to see if it changes in size at all. If it remains the same or goes away, this is likely OK. The only way to know exactly what it is, is to have your veterinarian sample cells from this area and examine them under a microscope. I hope this is helpful!