My dog has a red, raw lip bump that won't go away. What is it?

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Kona does have what appears to be a small, round, red and slightly bloody bump on her lip margin. This can be caused by an infection, which may have resulted from a small cut. While Kona is pretty young, it is possible that the bump is a small tumor, and it can be removed to determine if it is benign (not harmful) or malignant (likely to spread). It is concerning that the bump has gotten bigger over time, so I recommend having her seen by a vet. You can get her an E-collar or "cone" to prevent her from scratching or rubbing the area. I hope this helps!

Hello If possible a photograph of this lump would be helpful. It could be a lipoma (a harmless fatty tumor) but Boxers are known for developing mast cell tumors on their skin. Those types of tumors need to be removed as they can cause issues with the GI tract and even anaphylactic reactions.

I'm sorry to hear Molly has a growth. I would recommend she be seen by her regular veterinarian. Boxers are predisposed to a type of skin cancer known as a mast cell tumor. Your regular veterinarian should be able to determine with a needle aspirate if this bump is a mast cell tumor or not, and the necessary next steps to take. As they are curative if caught and removed early, I would recommend she be seen as soon as you can to determine if it is a problem for her or not. Good luck!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! A lot if skin bumps can look the same. But for a young dog and the location of it being on a leg it is likely a benign growth called a histiocytoma. They usually spontaneously regress in a few months. The other possibility is a Mast cell tumor, which can be common in Boxers. If the bump grows larger or doesn't go away in 2-3 months I would have your Vet examine it and consider aspirating it to see what it could be. It is never wrong to get it looked at sooner either! I hope this helps!

Poor guy! Your can try this: It won’t hurt him if he licks it off. However, if it’s not improving in 5 days or so, I would recommend that you schedule a recheck with your vet. I’m worried he may need antibiotics, as he may have a deep skin infection. If it continues to be a problem , a skin biopsy may be recommended. Thanks for asking PetCoach!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Without seeing a picture of what you are describing it is difficult to say for sure what this could be. I suspect, due to Blue's age, that this could be a viral papilloma, histiocytoma or pimple-like growth. In all 3 cases, it should resolve on its own. It could be something other than these 3 possibilities. If the spot does not resolve or it worsens, I would recommend having a veterinarian examine Blue to that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

This is indeed a mass. Make a note of how big it is now and watch it for a week or two and then compare to the size it is now. If it grew, or started to ooze or bleed, it needs to be examined by your vet and possibly removed. If it is just a wart, it can remain, unless it causes trouble.