Should I worry about a painless lump and swelling on my dog's side?

This can be a benign lump, or it could be a lipoma or cyst. 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. I'd give his vet a call tomorrow to make him an appointment. Best of luck.

This lump on Oliver could be a cyst, an abscess, a lipoma (benign fatty tumor), or another type of benign tumor. In a dog his age, it would be rare for it to be malignant. Regardless, this is something that should be checked out 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 it's cells, and examines the cells on a slide under a microscope. It's usually painless to the animal, and relatively quick to perform. I'd make an appointment with the vet for him on Monday to have this lump examined and diagnosed so it can be treated as needed. Best of luck, I hope this helps!

It's concerning this lump has gotten bigger, and it could be a cyst, a benign growth, or a malignant growth. 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 S's vet a call to make her an appointment.

I do always get concerned about lumps especially when they are growing. A lump can range from fat to cyst to even cancer. I would recommend taking Murphy to a vet to have an aspirate done. This is where the doctor can look at cells under the microscope to help determine the cause and if they need surgical removal. I hope this helps

I am sorry to hear about your concern with Penny. If the area is warm to the touch then one possible cause would be an abscess or infection under the skin. This can result from a small puncture or wound. We can also see cysts or masses (tumors) arise quickly in dogs. Some of these are benign (they don't spread/cause problems or need to be removed if not causing pain) and some are malignant (more aggressive in nature, can spread and need removal). There isn't a way to tell just by looking at the mass what the problem is. I would recommend a visit to the vet. They may recommend an aspiration with a needle to try to remove some cells from the swelling and help determine the cause and therefore the correct treatment.

Has he been licking at it? Can you identify a wound on it? It may be an abscess (localized infection) under the skin, as thise can show up very quickly. You can shave the hair over the top and clean it with dilute Betadine (available at any pharmacy - use water to dilute it so it looks like tea). Put an ecollar (cone) on him to prevent him from biting or chewing on it, and make an appointment with your vet as soon as you can—but it’s not something you need to see an emergency vet for as long as it’s not seeming painful and he’s eating and acting normally. Other possible causes would be some type of tumor (though less likely with his age), or a fluid accumulation called a seroma. Your vet may Do a fine needle aspirate (poke the bump with a needle and then look at cells under the microscope) to see what it is and then know how best to treat it. Thank you for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

This could be a seroma from an injury, a cyst, abscess or a tumor. Cysts and abscesses need to be drained by a vet. If your vet suspects a tumor, he will do a fine needle aspirate to determine whether it is a harmless lipoma, which does not need to be removed unless it is ulcerating or bothers the dog due to its location or size, or another tumor that needs to be removed. Please make an appointment with your veterinarian for an exam of the mass.