My dog has an oozing lump on his back. Should I wait or go to ER?

Given the location, it could be a tooth root abscess. It isn't an emergency, but is likely uncomfortable. If Dolly is behaving normally, she can probably see her veterinarian in the morning. An oral exam can be done to determine if there is periodontal disease and if so, if it is severe enough to cause an abscess. A complete dental cleaning and possibly extractions may be necessary. If an abscess is ruled out, your veterinarian can perform a fine needle aspirate of the lump to collect samples for pathology. This may provide a diagnosis. Treatment options can be discussed once results are returned.

I think this is not an emergency and can wait to be seen tomorrow. The only thing that may happen is that this abscess bursts until then. If that happens, gently wipe off the pus, do not flush or put ointment on the wound, leave it as it is. It is likely painful at the moment, but once the abscess bursts the pain will be over. Your vet will lance and flush the abscess and prescribe an antibiotic if needed.

Based on what you are describing and the location of the lump I would be concerned that your dog has either enlarged lymph nodes (either from infection or cancer) or an abscess. Since your dog has these symptoms and is lethargic as well I would be concerned about a systemic illness. I would recommend taking your dog to see the emergency vet instead of waiting to see how he does over the weekend. Best of luck. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

I'm sorry your received Jax in such poor condition, how awful for him! That is terrible they didn't take care of him at all. Given it's current size, you can monitor it at home and bring him into the vet on Monday, but if it starts getting significantly bigger, he stops eating, becomes lethargic, or it appears painful, then I would take him into a vet asap.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This looks like it could be a small abscess like lesion or a focal infection. Either way, this is likely to resolve with local treatment if the infection is confirmed. I think it would be ok to wait until next week as long as it starts resolving and healing on its own as sometimes these do resolve again if that is what it is. If this continues to worsen or progresses or it is not healing, it would be indicated to have him seen sooner. Good luck and best wishes!

Hi Sinead! The answer to your question depends on a few things. If the lump has come up suddenly, it has been getting bigger by the day, it bothers her, and/or she has had changes in behavior such as eating less, vomiting, and lethargy, then yes I would take her into an ER vet. If this lump on Roxt isn't bothering her, it doesn't get any bigger, and she's acting normally, then it's fine to wait until next week. Good luck, I hope this helps!

I am sorry to hear about Lucky. If he is very lethargic as you describe then I think he should be seen before Monday and I would advise taking him to the emergency vet if your regular vet is not open. It is possible he has an abscess if this area appeared quite quickly and when it opened up there is pus involved. He may need an antibiotic to treat the infection.