What's this growth on my 8-year-old dog's paw and how to remove it?

Ouch! With any new growth like this, it's best to have your vet take a look in person, as it isn't really possible to determine what is causing the growth just from a photo. Your vet can take a sample of the growth as needed with a fine-needle aspirate, or biopsy, to check what cell type is present and if the spot needs further attention. Other causes can be calluses from rubbing, scabbing from a wound or infection under the skin, or other issues. Until you can get to the vet, it's best to keep the area clean and dry and prevent Ginger from licking or chewing at it with an Elizabethan (cone) collar or sock over the spot. Monitoring it for any additional changes such as size, oozing debris, pain, etc, is also a good idea as these observations can help your vet narrow down the cause and best treatment plan.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Max. I recommend that he sees his veterinarian for a procedure known as a fine needle aspirate. The veterinarian will collect a sample of cells and evaluate them under the microscope to diagnose the mass. A histiocytoma is a common benign growth on the extremities of young dogs. Unfortunately, a mast cell tumor is an aggressive cancerous growth that has the same outward appearance. This is why the cells need to be examined. I hope this information helps!

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.

This could be an infected cyst, mass or abscess. I recommend Mugzi get checked out by a veterinarian as this may need to be drained and antibiotics may be needed. In the meantime try to keep Mugzi from licking or chewing at the area and do not give him any medication as it can be toxic to dogs.

No, that seems very unlikely if not impossible. This type of growth should be ideally checked by your local veterinarian to differentiate between skin cyst, benign or malignant type of tumors. Your vet can perform a fine needle aspirate or a biopsy to assess it. If it is painful it means it may be inflamed but not more than that.

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

Hi Bruce! I’m sorry Gus had a growth there. It could be something like a cyst but in a dog his age, there is a chance it could be something serious like a malignant tumor. This really does have to be checked out by a vet, especially since it is growing quickly. Since money is tight, maybe you can ask your vet about a payment plan for him. I would take him into a vet on Monday. I hope this helps.