My 12-year-old Staffy has two lumps. Should I take him to the vet?

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. It is difficult to say for sure what these tumors are just by looking at photos. However, that being said, the light pink mass I would suspect to be benign / non-cancerous and it looks like what we call a sebaceous adenoma. The dark purple mass looks a little more suspicious for a malignant / cancerous mass. I would recommend having a veterinarian examine both to be on the safe side. The vet can insert a small needle into both masses and look at their cells under the microscope, a test called a Fine Needle Aspiration (FNA). I hope this helps guide you in the right direction! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further. Please remember to rate this answer as helpful or not. Thank you!

Hello and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I can definitely see the lumps on Spider's side that you are talking about. They do not appear to be bleeding or have any discharge or inflammation, so I can guess that they are not bothering Spider. It is hard to get a good idea of their size from the pictures, but they do not appear very large. You have several options in this case - you can either continue to monitor the lumps for any change in size or development of discharge/redness (having them evaluated by a veterinarian if any of those signs occur) or you can have him seen by a veterinarian as soon as possible. Having him evaluated shortly will allow Spider to have a better prognosis if the lumps are masses, as they can be removed and sent of to a laboratory for a definitive diagnosis and treatment options.

Hi there! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This could be a benign growth or a malignant growth such as a mast cell tumor, melanoma, among many other possibilities. I recommend you have Houdini evaluated by your veterinarian for a test called fine needle aspirate which is an easy, quick and pain-free procedure which in the majority of cases will help reach a diagnosis to identify what the best course of action is based on the findings. In some cases, a biopsy is needed for a diagnosis. If it truly is benign then removal is not necessarily recommended. However, if it is malignant and it has not spread to other locations, then surgical removal is recommended. Good luck! Keeping my fingers crossed that it is something benign.

Hello there from across the pond! Lumps and bumps on older dogs are fairly typical and are to be expected with an older pet. By and large, lumps and bumps that are round, smooth, and/or freely movable generally speaking are not causes for alarm. However, lumps and bumps that become red, inflamed, warm to the touch, itchy, have rough edges, are rapidly growing, or have discharge coming from them need to be looked at by a veterinarian and have them assessed. Regardless, I would recommend your veterinarian take a look at Chester and take small sample of the small mass he has and look at it under a microscope. From there, your vet can determine the nature of the mass and if it is concerning. You may also discuss surgical removal of the small mass if that is recommended by your vet. I hope this has helped!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I’m sorry to hear Holly has a growth. I do recommend all abnormal growths be evaluated by a veterinarian to determine if they are benign (non-cancerous) or not. A veterinarian can do a needle sample (aspirate) to help determine what this growth is, and any further treatment or care that may be needed. Good luck!

Hello, & thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. The end of the nodule seems to have an ulcerated appearance which concerns me. Definitely have your vet take a look at this. I would recommend removal & having the tissue sent for pathology for identification. It looks like a full excision should be curative. Hope this helps. Take care.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! These could be benign or malignant growths. These could even represent infection sites or lymph nodes. There is no way of knowing what it is just based on its appearance. This is often differentiated by a test called a fine needle aspirate (FNA) which is a pain free, inexpensive and easy procedure which in most cases will help reach a diagnosis. Sometimes a biopsy is needed for a definitive diagnosis. I recommend that you have her evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. I am really hoping for something benign. Good luck and have a good day!