My golden retriever scratched a bleeding lump. Does it need treatment?

These look like callouses/dry skin which are common but scratching and bleeding would be uncommon and biopsy would be worth considering. Infections are common in any damaged skin so a check up to rule this out would be recommended as treatment and medicated washes may allow these to heal somewhat and seal

This looks like a typica skin wart/skin tumor or cyst. Since it has been present for so long and has not grown at all, it is probably benign (non cancerous). It looks as if the area has been irritated somehow, probably by your dog scratching at it, and is now bleeding and may be infected. Or, if it is a cyst, the white material may just be cystic exudate. I would recommend cleaning the area with some dilute hydrogen peroxide then applying some antibiotic ointment to help prevent infection and to help it heal more quickly. Occasionally these need to be removed but only if they are a constant source of irritation or infection for the dog. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck!

Hi there. If the cyst is bleeding right now, the only thing you can do at home is apply direct pressure to it with a paper towel or wash cloth until the bleeding stops. Then, I would recommend taking Mocha to the vet to have this checked when you are able to. He/she can advise you on whether the cyst should be surgically removed, or if any other treatment (antibiotics, etc.) is needed.

Hi! Its great you have a picture in there! So, the wound appearance is similar to a fungus infection, which is quite common in dogs with this type of fur as in golden retrievers. It's not easy to dry it completely, so some fungus can take advantage on that and cause an infection. As it is pruritic (a nice word for itching), and fungal infection in the majority is NOT itchy, a secondary bacterial contamination can be occurring. You will need some extra diagnostics work up with your vet to figure this out, or do an diagnostic by exclusion (treating the most common causes to see if helps). Other very important fact to be looked at, is if this "crusty - like" wound was caused by the itching problem and there is another underlying skin allergic reaction happening such as, flea allergy (remember you don't have to see the fleas on your dog for this), food related allergy, atopic allergy, etc. As I don't know for how long you have been treating Cody, so the antibiotic might no had kicked in yet. Cold baths with Chlorhexidine shampoos (you can even buy "Dettol" on supermarket) can give some quick relief.

This looks to be a benign skin mass or cyst. Repeated trauma from scratching is probably causing it to open up and bleed. These usually do not need to be removed unless they become infected or are irritating to the dog. If the mass changes then I would be concerned. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

It could be an infection, cyst, or possibly a hystiocytoma. The best thing would be to have a vet take a look at the lesion. Your vet can do a needle aspirate to help diagnose and then determine the best way to treat. He may need an antibiotic, anti-inflammatory, or it may need to be removed. Hope he feels better soon!

Hello, thank you for using PetCoach. About 99/100 times if a dog comes to the vet clinic with something like this they also have fleas. If you don't have him on a good flea prevention then he is likely scratching this location due to fleas. I do think I see some "flea dirt" in the photo. I strongly recommend you get him to the vet for an exam. If he has fleas you need to get a good prescription flea prevention. Also, this type of lesion almost always needs oral antibiotics and some type of oral antiinflammatory to stop the itch cycle for it to heal. As long as he keeps scratching it, it will not heal no matter what you apply topically. If you choose to try and treat it yourself at home, you can use this hot spot spray gel 3- 4 times per day. ( https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/3-oz-3-fl-oz-hot-spot-antimicr-2877113 ) You will also need to get some dog boots to put on his back feet so if he tries to scratch the area it won't continue to traumatize the skin. ( https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/search?query=dog%20boots ) If you do this at home for about 5-7 days and there is no improvement or it looks worse at any time then he needs to see the vet. Hope this helps. Best wishes.