My pitbull has a raised, silver dollar-sized, scabby bump. What is it?

Hello. It is difficult to tell if this is a cyst or a small tumor, but it is good to have this looked at soon. Iggy is young, so I am not so much concerned about this being very serious, but Pitbulls do seem to be a little more inclined to develop what we call button tumors. Most of these are not terrible dangerous, & if your veterinarian suggests having this removed & the tissue sent for pathology, I would do so. Often, with these small tumors, removal is curative. But knowing what this is also gives you a heads up as to whether or not other small tumors may arise from time to time. I would not panic over anything I have said, but wait to have this looked at. Your veterinarian may take a completely different approach & treat this topically once he has a good idea of what this is. Thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I agree that they do not sound like skin tags. These could be benign or malignant growths. 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 night!

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!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This could be a benign or malignant growth. 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 day!

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!

This may be an abscess, a cyst or a tumor. You should have it examined by your veterinarian, as it is not possible to distinguish these by just looking at a photo. An abscess can usually be treated with antibiotics and/or be lanced, and a cyst can be evacuated. To identify a tumor, your vet may want to do a fine needle aspirate (he takes some material from the bump with a needle and then looks at it under the microscope) to determine whether the mass is concerning.

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear about Biff. Skin growths/masses typically fall into a few categories. Raised growths can be tumors (benign or malignant), granulomas (a collection of inflammatory cells), and some assorted epidermal growths. If this lesion persists, enlarges, changes in any way other than shrinking, I would have your veterinarian evaluate Biff. They can get a history and do an examination of the area in question. They may advise some diagnostics (fine needle aspirate, biopsy) to determine what it is or may just advise removing it (excising it) and submitting the growth to a pathologist so they can determine what it is. Some skin growths shrink and resolve over time so if it persists, enlarges, starts to bleed, looks different, again I would have your vet check it out right away. From a clinical standpoint, it looks like a benign growth but I have learned over the years that you never know until you do some diagnostics. Good luck with Biff and I hope this resolves without incidence.