Why does my dog have a red, hairless, bloody lump on its skull?

According to the picture this looks like a wart that Lady scratched and now has a scab on it. Since she is bothering with it and seems uncomfortable I would take her to see your veterinarian. They can make sure it is nothing else like a scratch that got infected or a different type of growth that go infected and scabbed over. They also will be able to give her a topical ointment to place on the area to help with any type of infection. If this is something that continues to bother her or scab over I would recommend removing it so it does not continually get infected and bother her. If she is scratching at it I would put an e-collar on her so she does not make it worse. As dogs age it is very common for them to get more warts like these, some may bother them while others will not.

I recommend to have Lola examined by her veterinarian. Skin masses can be many things but red raised masses are especially concerning for a skin cancer called a Mast Cell tumor. An infection is also possible. Your veterinarian may 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.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Thanks for the pictures! Many skin masses can look the same. Red dermal masses, like this one, can be benign or malignant. Some possibilities are an inflamed sebaceous adenoma, hemangioma, histiocytoma or it could be a Mast Cell Tumor. Since it showed up quickly I would have Oscar seen by your Vet. They can decide if aspirating it (sticking it with a needle and sending the slides to the lab) or removing the mass and sending it for biopsy is best. I hope this helps and I wish you and Oscar the best!

Hello, and thank you for your question. The lesion in the photos may be due to a bacterial infection (abscess), fungal infection (ringworm), parasites, an underlying allergy, or a tumour if it feels like a lump underneath. Because of the multiple possible causes, I would recommend getting Moose seen by a vet within the next few days. They may recommend testing such as a skin scraping, cytology, fungal culture, or a fine needle aspirate to narrow down the diagnosis. At minimum, they can prescribe antibiotics for secondary infection, or allergy medication if he is itchy. In the meantime, I would put an e-collar (cone) on his head to prevent any further trauma. I hope this helps, and that Moose gets better soon!

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Although you cannot say for certain what a mass is without taking a sample and sending it away for histopathology, the mass in the picture looks most likely to be wart. This also fits with the history of bleeding once and a while, not growing in size, and not causing any pain or discomfort. Sometimes these can become annoying if they bleed frequently and can be removed, but mainly they don't cause any problems. Best of luck with your little one!

I would recommend that you have this little mass checked out by a vet, but I would not consider it an emergency. You could wait until Monday if your vet is not open. If Nala is scratching and causing it to bleed, you may need to have her wear an e-collar to prevent further damage. It could be a histiocytoma, but a vet would need to get a small sample of cells to examine under a microscope to rule out other types of tumors that can look similar. http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=1676

Hello there! Considering her age and breed, the lump on Skye's head is most likely a benign mass called a histiocytoma. Only a vet can diagnose this for sure, but this is the most likely cause. The mass on the leg may also be a histiocytoma, as the head, face, legs, and feet are the most common locations for them to grow, and if a dog has one, they are more likely to have multiple over their lifetime. A histiocytoma can be unsightly, but they usually go away on their own after a few months. Some owners elect to have them removed if they keep getting scratched or infected, and this is usually curative at that location. There are other conditions that could cause lumps like these (though they are less likely, like a viral infection or cancer), and a visit to your vet will help to determine what that might be. The vet will give Skye a full physical exam, and they will likely take a small sample of cells from within the lumps with a small needle - a procedure called a fine needle aspirate, or FNA. This may not give a definitive diagnosis, but it can be helpful in ruling out more worrisome issues. It can also help the vet decide if the lumps need to come off for further testing, but I'd be surprised if this was the case. I recommend that you take Skye to visit the vet to confirm the lumps' cause, but it's not an emergency. Good luck, and I hope Skye's lumpiness clears up soon!