My dog has a red growth on her torso. Is it a tumor? What should I do?

Hello and thank you for your question. I recommend to have your pup examined by the veterinarian. Skin masses can be many things but red/pink raised masses are especially concerning for a skin cancer called a Mast Cell tumor. This cancer can spread to the internal organs. Your veterinarian will need to collect a sample of cell to examine under the microscope to determine what this is and if further treatment is needed. Have this checked out soon. Fingers crossed this is not a MCT and is something benign instead but you can't tell by looks. I hope this helps.

It could be a small cyst, pustule/papule, or possibly a Histiocytoma which is a benign mass that is common in young dogs. Since it is getting more red, she should be examined by a vet to determine the cause. The vet may want to aspirate it and examine the contents under a microscope. She may need an antibiotic, anti-inflammatory, it may need to be removed, or just monitored (histiocytomas typically resolve with no treatment). You could use an over the counter spray, like Vetricyn, and see if that helps relieve any redness or discomfort.

This lump looks like it could be a skin tumour. It looks ulcerated and possibly infected. It would be wise to have it tested at the vet to determine exactly what type of tumour it is, benign or cancerous.

This could be a benign skin mass like a wart or a lipoma or could be something more serious like a mast cell tumor. My best recommendation is to take Mara to the veterinarian so a fine needle aspirate and cytology can be performed. This will help your veterinarian determine the cell type of origin and decide if the masses need to be removed. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

That mass could be several things. Red raised hairless masses can be benign growths such as warts, histiocytomas, reactions or infected hair follicles. They can unfortunately also be malignant grows such as Mast Cell Tumor or Plasmacytoma. I would recommend to have it checked out by the vet who may be better able to tell how concerned you should be by palpating the mass and the surrounding lymphnodes. The good news is that the majority of masses are benign but it's always better to be safe. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Hello there and thank you for your post! From the pictures you have posted, it the red blood blister like mass you are seeing is most likely what we call a hemangioma, which is typically benign. However, hemangiomas can turn into hemangiosarcomas that are cancerous. I would recommend having this removed if possible to prevent this from progressing. If Gizmo does not do well at the vet, you can ask if they can provide you with an anti-anxiety medication / sedative to administer prior to an appointment to get this looked at. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns. I am also available via consultation if needed.

There are a few possibilities as to what this could be on Ruby. In a younger dog benign masses called histocytomas are possible. These generally regress with time. However, masses like mast cell tumors can also present this way. Mast cell tumors can be problematic and need to be surgically removed. Mast cell tumors also release histamine so please do not continue to try to squeeze this growth. Some other causes of this (although probably less likely) are cysts or infections. I recommend taking Ruby to see your veterinarian so that a sample of cells from the mass can be obtained. This will help in diagnosing the growth and in deciding if it needs to be removed surgically. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and I hope this turns out to be a benign issue for Ruby.