My 7-month-old Pit bull mix has a new lump. Should I be worried?

Unfortunately any skin mass can be cancerous but the good news is that most are benign. The only way to know for sure is the have a small sample of the mass collected and examined under the microscope. I recommend for Pepper to see his veterinarian. Sometimes the doctor can tell by palpation but other times they need to see the cells. Anytime you have a dark colored mass, melanoma is on the concern list. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Based on its appearance, this could be a benign or malignant mass. This is most of the time differentiated with a test called a fine needle aspirate which is easy, cheap and pain-free. Sometimes, a biopsy is required for a diagnosis. Have Panzer evaluated by your veterinarian to have this test performed to try to sort out what the diagnosis is so that the best course of action can be determined. Keeping my fingers crossed that it is something benign!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Being benign vs. malignant is more based on how it looks under the microscope. It can still be benign even if it is not very movable. 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 him evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. I am really hoping for something benign. Good luck and have a good night!

This could be a cyst or a benign tumor. 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 would give Lily's vet a call in the morning to make her an appointment. Best of luck.

Hello, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Is that supposed to be the same growth in both photos? The growth if the first photo looks suspicious for a malignant tumor. The tissue around the mass is swollen and the mass itself is raised and ulcerated; both can be signs of a malignancy. I cannot tell you for sure though just by looking at a photo. The second photo looks like a benign wart. In general, any new lumps/bumps should be examined by your vet. The first photo looks worrisome and I think you should have it checked in the next few days.

Thank you for providing pictures of Gucci's bump. From the pictures, it looks like it could be a cyst, a benign tumor, or a malignant tumor. 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 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. Once the cause of the lump is diagnosed, the vet can discuss treatment options with you. Given that the lump is getting bigger, I would have him seen by a vet on Monday. Good luck, I hope this helps!

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 (even though extremely unlikely given the young age). Hystiocytoma is one of the main differential (is a benign tumor which resolves by itself). 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!