My dog has a neck bump. Should I worry? When to see a vet?

It could be a cyst, a wart, or some other benign or malignant growth. The only way to know for certain what a bump is is to take a sample of cells with a needle or biopsy for examination under a microscope. If it seems to bother your dog or appears to be growing rapidly, be sure to have this lesion checked out in the next week or two. Otherwise, if your dog isn't bothered and the lesion doesn't seem to be changing much, I would recommend having it checked out by a vet in the next couple of months.

That looks like a mild skin infection of some kind. I would keep an eye on it and get it looked after by your vet if it doesn't improve in a day or two or gets worse. They'll do a physical exam, check the lesions, maybe look at some of the material from the bumps under the microscope to see if they can identify the cause and, based on these results, be better able to recommend a treatment plan.

It could be a small insect bite or minor skin infection, the rest of her skin looks pretty normal. Keep an eye on it, keep it clean with a warm damp washcloth and rub in a small amount of triple antibiotic ointment without steroid, as steroids slow healing. If it doesn't improve significantly in a few days, gets worse, spreads, or if she starts feeling sick or itching, get her an appointment with her vet.

Dogs and people have lymph nodes under the skin in the neck area. They are firm, oval usually and do move a little when they are touched. If your dog had a flea bite reaction or skin irritation/infection from scratching the lymph nodes may be a little bigger than normal and easier to feel. From your description this is nothing I’m overly concerned about. I would check the bump every few days, if it is getting larger or becomes painful she may have an infection so then I would take her in for an exam and treatment. I expect the bump to get smaller in a few days to a week. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Trixie.

In a young dog these are often a little cyst or a mass known as a histiocytoma. These may grow a little bigger, but eventually go away on their own after a couple of months. I think it would fine to just monitor this for now. If grows rapidly, or breaks open, or has any other dramatic changes, then it's best to have your vet examine Capone in order to definitively diagnose the cause of this and provide the necessary treatment. Below is a link to more information about the suspected mass. https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/skin-cutaneous-histiocytoma I hope that helps and all is well with Capone.

It could be a little skin tag or wart. I recommend keeping an eye on it and take her to the vet if it abruptly changes size, color, texture, etc., as this can be a sign that it should be removed. The next time she is in for a routine visit, show it to your vet so they can assess it and determine if it should be removed.

This looks like it could be an insect bite or sting, or a tick bite if they are in your area. Skin infections can also occasionally start this way. If you start to see more lesions similar to the one above, or if this bump begins to increase in size or have any discharge I would recommend having it examined by your veterinarian. If it is an insect bite it should be gone in the next 7-10 days or so. Monster is a handsome guy!