My dog has a red lump near his penis and keeps licking. Is it serious?

It's a little difficult to tell from your picture alone - being able to examine and touch a lump in person makes it much easier to determine what it is. This could be a skin tumor, a small abscess or inflammatory nodule, or a lesion from something like contact hypersensitivity. I would recommend having this lump examined by your veterinarian since it looks red and possibly like there is discharge. If he is licking or chewing at the lump you should put an e-collar on him until you can see a veterinarian. They may know what it is after being able to examine it or may recommend taking an aspirate sample using a small needle to look for cells under the microscope.

Hello. Any red/raised mass on the skin in a 7 year old should be checked out. It could just be infection or a wart, however what you are describing could also be a tumour, and if removed early could prevent it from spreading. I would recommend having it removed and biopsied. Good luck with your little Patrick!

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Thank you for the picture, that is more helpful. The lump doesn't look infected or like a wound, however these are still possible. The lump looks like it could be a bit of a blocked gland, a cyst, an abnormal wart, or a tumor is always possible as well as some tumors, especially Mast Cell tumors, can look like anything. I would recommend monitoring it for now, if it is bleeding, growing (or growing and shrinking), bothering Bogart (he is chewing/scratching at it), or if there is any discharge, then I would get it checked right away. Otherwise, I would wait a few weeks and see if it goes away on it's own. If it doesn't go away in a few weeks, then I would recommend having it removed by your vet and sent away for histopathology. Your vet might do an "FNA" (fine needle aspirate) prior to removing it to determine what it is. Best of luck with Bogart!

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.

That looks ulcerated. This could be a benign lump, but it could be malignant. 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. Give Buddy's vet a call to make him an appointment, and put an Ecollar on him to keep him from licking it. You can get one from a pet store. Best of luck.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sadly a lot of skin masses can look the same. It could be a Mast Cell tumor (which is a cancerous growth that should be removed and biopsied), a cyst, a histiocytoma (though he is a bit old for that, they end to occur in younger dogs). Any skin bumps that is new, rapidly grows, changes or is possibly infected should be checked by a Vet. They can decide whether it should be aspirated and sent to the lab or removed surgically to send the entire specimen for biopsy. I hope this helps and I wish Boston the very best!

It looks like Betsy has a skin infection. If it feels like there is a lump underneath, it could indicate a skin tumor that now has a secondary infection. I would recommend to take her in for an exam. In the mean time, make her wear an Elizabethan collar to protect the area as licking it will make it worse. Wash it with an antibacterial soap and apply a topical antibiotic. I hope this helps!