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What is this lump on my dog's paw and what should I do about it?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Large (61lb +) | Female | spayed | 5 years and 3 months old | 62 lbs

My dog has a mass on her paw

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Jessica Desrosiers

Answered By Jessica Desrosiers

Veterinary Technician

Published on April 21st, 2024

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.
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