My older dog has nail-like skin growths that fall off and regrow?

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Diamond. The skin mass on the leg in the picture you submitted appears to be a wart like growth. These are common in older dogs and more tend to appear over time. If this is the growth you are referring to, then they are typically not anything to worry about. The only time I consider surgically removing such a mass is if it bleeds or becomes infected. I hope this information helps!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! They look like keratin growths. The skin is made of keratin which is a protein and sometimes that protein is hard, like a nail. I recommend taking your pup to the vet to confirm but if that is what they are they are not serious. Kisses to your pup!

I would guess that these are sebaceous adenomas or benign skin growths that are common in older dogs. There are some other skin tumors that could look similar however and it would be best to have your veterinarian examine Linguine in person to be 100% sure.

This is likely to be a benign type of skin growth quite common in adult-old dogs. Unfortunately I cannot give you a definitive answer as usually there are two ways your vet can do that a part from examining it directly during physical examination. A biopsy can be taken under local or general anesthetic, otherwise a smaller sample through a fine needle can be aspirated (this technique is called FNA= fine needle aspiration). Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

These are skin hyperkeratosis (thickening of the stratum corneum of the epidermis/most superficial skin layer). A check up and possibly a sample of it can be taken to confirm diagnosis. They can be mildly painful and possibly grow even more than now. Surgical excision is usually resolutive but not strictly necessary. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. From the pictures that you have provided the skin masses that you have noticed look very similar to a benign skin tumor known as a sebaceous adenoma. I call these old dog warts when using layman's terms. These are typically benign tumors of the skin which occur with older aged animals. If you are at all concerned about these then I would suggest having your veterinarian examine them and make a determination on what exactly they are. Otherwise, I would continue to monitor them for changes such as an increase in size then I would suggest having your veterinarian examine them and make a determination on what exactly they are. Otherwise, I would continue to monitor them for changes such as an increase in size or if they begin to discharge. I hope this helps! Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any further questions or concerns. I am also available via phone or text based consultation if needed.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! As dogs age, they can develop wart-like growths known as adenomas which are benign (non-cancerous) growths. These can be monitored, but if they start bleeding, become infected or she starts scratching at them they can need to be removed. I would recommend she be seen by her regular veterinarian to determine if these are benign wart-like growths, or if they are something more concerning (such as a mast cell tumor). Good luck!