What's growing on my dog's nose? Is it a tick, skin tag, or lesion?

That looks like it’s either a skin growth or a tick. If you are not familiar with ticks or know how to identify them and/or remove them, I recommend to have Miso examined by the veterinarian. I have seen many dogs get injured by their owners who thought they were removing a tick but were actually trying to pull off skin masses (which hurt). It’s always better to play it safe. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Hi, I'm Dr. Johnson! Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It's great that you posted pictures because they can be very helpful. The only thing I can't tell from the picture is where the skin bump is located on Arny's body. If it is on his belly it could be an irregular nipple. Otherwise to me it doesn't appear to be a tick. Skin tags are more dangly. It looks like a dermal (on top of the skin) bump. There are many types of skin bumps that can affect dogs- a lot are harmless: skin tags, hair follicle cysts, sebaceous adenomas, etc. And some are more concerning. Sadly a lot of the time we can't tell from just looking at them. If it suddenly appeared or grows rapidly, having it aspirated by your Veterinarian can give you a better idea of what it might be. An aspirate is a quick procedure where your vet uses a needle and syringe to suck cells from the bump. Then slides are usually sent to the lab for a pathologist to look at. If it comes back concerning then it could be removed. I hope I could help! Have a great day!

Thank you for providing a picture of this area on Bosco! It could be that it's a skin tag, a type of benign tumor, and that's why it cannot be removed. It could also be a tick that is embedded, and I would not try to remove it again. It would be a good idea to have him seen by a vet for it, so it can be diagnosed and treated as needed.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This could be a benign or malignant growth. 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!

I can't tell based on the photo if there are potential legs there. Try to look at the base of this thing near where it is attached to the ear to see if you see many legs sticking out on the sides. if there are no legs, then this is a mass. I would then recommend having your vet take a look at this for further testing and possible surgical removal. If this is a tick, then proper removal of the tick should be done with hemostats through your vet or any other person who is trained in proper tick removal. I would then recommend a high quality flea/tick preventative such as Simparica, Bravecto, Nexgard or even over the counter Advantix can work in many pets. I hope that this leads you towards a proper diagnosis of this questionable lesion on Ramsey's ear. Best of luck moving forward. Take care.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Thanks for the picture! It looks like an engorged tick. Gently lift it up and if you see 8 legs then it is a tick. Pull it gently off the skin where the head attaches to the skin or you can have your Vet for Vet tech remove it for you. I would change the brand of tick prevention you are using or start using one. I hope this helps!

A lesion like that could be several things including an ingrown hair, allergies, skin mites, bacterial infection or a skin tumor/mass. There are a couple things you can do at home and they can help but they may not address the underlying cause. You can try adding in an omega 3 fatty acid supplement for dogs, this can help improve the skin health. You may also try changing her diet to something like Royal Canin or Nutro as they are aimed at skin health. You can wash the lesion once a day (not her whole body, just the lesion). Also protect the area from trauma by having your pup wear an elizabethan collar at all times. If the lesion does not start improving within a week or if it is getting worse, have her examined by the veterinarian. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.