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Is my dog's red skin bump a mast cell tumor or just a skin issue?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed | Female | spayed | 1 year and 6 months old | 50 lbs

My baby got small bump last week and she chewed it, so it looks like a patch. I lost my best friend, my baby by Mast cell tumor in 2021. I am paranoid seeing hairless red circle on doggies body. I made an appo with our Vet but it will be 2 weeks later, I am super worried day by day. Please kindly advise your opinion if the one on my baby looks malicious or just skin issue,,,, and if it is better go Vet earlier.. Thank you very much!

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Daniel Fonza, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on September 29th, 2023

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concerns. Based on the photo you provided, this could be a number of things. Tornado is very young, so there is a chance that this could be something called a histiocytoma. This type of mass is commonly seen in younger animals and is non-cancerous that typically goes away on its own. Some cases need to be surgically removed if they are not resolving or if they are growing in size.The other possibility is that it is something cancerous. Mast cell tumor would certainly be on my list of rule outs. To be certain this is nothing to be concerned about, I would recommend that you take Tornado in to be seen by a veterinarian so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction!

3Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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