My dog has a painless, pimple-like bump on his back. What could it be?

Its hard to say for sure what that is on Teddy since I can't actually feel the mass. Based on how it looks and the condition of the skin around it (which appears normal in the pictures), I would wonder if Teddy has some sort of clogged pore or skin cyst. Often times a cyst will feel like a firm pea under the skin and they are not painful. Typically a clogged pore can be expressed and the material will be very thick. It will likely continue to refill over and over. Cysts and clogged pores are benign lesions but can get infected (so don't traumatize the lesion). The be sure, I would recommend to take Teddy in to see his doctor and have the mass palpated. If it looks more worrisome, the doctor will recommend an aspirate to determine the origin of the lesion. best of luck with Teddy!

Hello, my name is Dr. Shines and I am happy to help. Dogs can get all kinds of skin masses as well as things like pimples and ingrown hairs. Most of these lesions will be benign but a few will be cancerous. Unfortunately, you can't always tell from looks alone. If the bump doesn't seem to hurt or bother Bentley, you might try applying a warm (not hot) compress every couple hours for 10 minutes. If this is an ingrown hair or pimple, this might help it to come to a head. If it seems to bother him, have him examined. If the bump is still there in 2 weeks, I'd go ahead and have Bentley examined. There's one type of skin cancer called a Mast Cell Tumor and they commonly look red/pink, hairless and raised. If the doctor is concerned, they'll test it. I hope this helps and please feel free to reach out with any additional questions.

These bumps on Snoopy could be warts or another type of benign tumor. There is a chance they could be malignant, but it's not very likely in a dog his age. Any suspicious bumps 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 bump 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 would have Snoopy seen by a vet in the next few days to have these bumps examined and diagnosed so they can be treated as needed.

This isn’t a pimple. It is a small mass in the top layer of the skin. It could be a cyst, a wart, or a benign or cancerous growth. The only way to know for sure is to have your vet collect a sample with a needle to examine under a slide or to remove the whole mass and send it to the lab for evaluation. Until that happens, you can watch it for changes in size, color, texture, etc. If you notice any changes, I would call your vet to see if they can get you in sooner.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This could be a benign or malignant growth. This could even be an abscess. 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 him evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. I am really hoping for something benign. Good luck and have a good night!

It's quite possible that the little bump on Booboo's back is a cyst. While most cysts are benign (especially ones in young dogs), their size can fluctuate as they fill with fluid, rupture, then refill. When cysts rupture, they can cause little crusts or scabs on the surface of the skin. These lesions can become infected if a dog licks or scratches at the area, but most of the time, they don't cause any problems. I don't see evidence of infection in the picture. For now, I think it's reasonable to keep an eye on the area for changes. If you want to clean it with an antiseptic to err on the side of caution, Hibiclens and betadine are both good over the counter options, but be sure to rinse well afterwards. Unless this lesion gets larger, has more discharge, or irritates Booboo, I don't think you need to take a trip to the vet for this lesion alone. That said, be sure to mention it to your vet the next time Booboo is due for an exam so that they can check it out. I hope that everything goes well!

Thanks for sending the picture! It appears to be a wart like growth with a small scab on top. These are common in small breed dogs. If it grows or changes rapidly, then I would still have her veterinarian check it out. Otherwise I do not suspect it will be a problem for her. You can try to clean the scab off for her. Good luck!