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My dog has a painful, bleeding lump on his stomach. What should I do?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Large (61lb +) | Male | neutered | 11 years and 1 month old | 97 lbs

My dog Trey has a mole looking thing on his stomach and he keeps biting it. It bleeds when he bites it. It looks painful for him but I don't know what to do to help him. Please help! do you know what it might be and how I could help him?

4 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Shaneez Wallani, DVM

Answered By Shaneez Wallani, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on March 28th, 2017

Without further testing, there is no way to tell if this growth is due to infection, trauma or allergy, or if it is a tumour. Tumours can be of a malignant (cancerous) type that can spread elsewhere and/ or invade the healthy tissue around them, or a more benign (noncancerous) type that is unlikely to spread. I recommend making an appointment to see your vet to have the growth tested. In many cases this can be done using a fine needle aspirate, where cells are removed from the growth using a needle and examined under a microscope to determine what it is and to guide treatment. In some cases further testing may be needed to determine the necessary course of treatment, but it is important to get new growths tested in a timely manner, as some can be cancerous and quite aggressive in their growth, and growths due to infection, allergy or trauma can lead to complications or be indicators of underlying health problems. In the meantime, it is very important that you keep Trey from licking the area to help prevent infection by making sure he wears the “cone” (also known as an e-collar or Elizabethan collar) at all times when he is not being directly supervised by you, including while sleeping. Pain medications meant for humans can be very dangerous (and even deadly) for dogs, so I do not recommend giving any to your pup without consulting with your vet. Your veterinarian can prescribe safe medication to help with the pain as needed. Hope your pup feels better soon!
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Related Answers from Veterinarians

  • Answered By David Elbeze, DVM, MRCVS

    Veterinarian

    Published on January 27th, 2018

    This looks like a skin growth. Any growth needs to be checked and analysed as there are many conditions and types of tumors that could look like that. take Bobo to the vet, they will perform a fine needle aspiration on the growth and send it to the lab for analysis. when the result comes, the vet will advise what needs to be done according to the diagnosis.

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    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

  • Answered By Linda G, MS, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on July 23rd, 2019

    Hello. Suzie has a small button tumor, but there is no way at this point to know if it is dangerous ( malignant ) or quiet ( benign ) without being able to examine cells under the microscope. Treatment would most likely require surgery, but you certainly can have a simple, inexpensive needle aspirate done to see if this is an urgent situation or one that can be monitored for a while. I would visit with your veterinarian to see what your options might be & how much this will cost to deal with. Good luck & thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

  • Answered By Angel Alvarado, LVT

    Licensed Veterinary Technician

    Published on December 21st, 2017

    You can monitor it for rapid change, growth or discomfort. If necessary, you can have Leia examined by your veterinarian. A fine needle aspirate can be done in the clinic to collect samples for pathology. This may provide a diagnosis. A small mass is much easier to remove than a larger one. A malignant mass should be removed. A benign mass should also be removed before it grows too large or before it obstructs movement.

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    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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