My dog has a painful, crusty lump on her cheek. What should I do?

The wound looks puffy from the photo (but I would need to palpate it to know for sure). The crusty area next to it could indicate another wound that is scabbed over or it could indicate a bacterial infection or ringworm (which humans can get). Your best option is to have Sophie examined by the veterinarian in case the wound is infected. She would be placed on antibiotics if that is the case. They could also test her for ringworm if it looks suspicious on exam. Make sure to protect the wound from scratching or licking. Sophie may need to wear an elizabethan collar if she can lick the area. A doggie shirt can help protect it from scratching. You do not want to disrupt the scab (it's nature's bandaide). I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

It’s a little difficult to see in your picture but I would guess that this is either from a skin infection/hot spot or a skin growth. I would recommend having a vet examine the area. Bambi may need antibiotics or other medication. The vet might shave the fur around this lesion to get a better look.

Thank you for providing pictures! It looks like Sophie could have a growth of some sort there, either benign or malignant. Any suspicious lumps should be examined by the vet. The vet can perform a test called a fine needle aspirate on it. To do this, the vet sticks a small needle into the lump to get a sample of its cells, and examines the cells on a slide under a microscope. It's usually painless to the animal, and relatively quick to perform. Once the cause of the lump is diagnosed, the vet can discuss treatment options if needed. Give your vet a call in the morning to make her an appointment. Best of luck, I hope this helps!

This looks a little more like a crust that I would expect to see secondary to a bacterial skin infection, so if there is a growth underneath I'm wondering if it has become infected. I would recommend having your vet examine this lesion - if it is truly a growth and it has been increasing in size it might be best to have a veterinarian examine it.

This does indeed look painful and ugly. There is no way to tell what caused this, however it is big enough and looks concerning enough to need to be seen by a vet. The vet will have these wounds cleaned after clipping all the hair around them, then disinfect them and probably apply some antibiotic ointment. Do not let Symphony lick the area as that may aggravate the condition. If she is very much in pain or if the wounds are bleeding, you should take her to a Pet ER tonight, otherwise you can probably wait until tomorrow to take her to a vet.

The lesion on Luna's face may be a bacterial infection, a fungal infection known as ringworm or due to a skin mite known as Demodex. Luna will need to see a veterinarian for an exam and a skin scrape to determine the correct diagnosis. Treatment is very different for each condition and they can all look similar, so testing needs to be done to be sure.

Hi, and thanks for your question. This lump/bump/growth should be ideally examined by your local vet to have a diagnosis established. Your vet may want to perform an FNA (fine needle aspiration) or a biopsy to sample the bump and determine its underlying nature. Differentials would include skin cysts, infections, benign or more malignant type of tumors. 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. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!