My shih-tzu has a sudden red bump on her head. What should I do?

Hi there! Looking at the picture, she should be fine to wait for the vet appointment until Monday. It may be something benign, such as a sebaceous cyst. If the vet is at all worried about how it looks, they will recommend a biopsy. If she is eating well and has an appropriate amount of energy, I would recommend leaving the spot alone for now and waiting for your appointment on Monday. I hope this helps! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

I agree that it looks like it is most likely a sebaceous cyst. Sebaceous cysts tend to grow slowly over time, but should not increase in size rapidly or become red. They can become infected, so it if becomes red or painful, I would recommend having your veterinarian examine it in case it has become infected. If it is enlarging, your vet can perform a simple test called a fine needle aspirate where they use a small needle to collect some cells from the mass, then look at them under the microscope to make sure that it is a benign cyst. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Thanks for the pictures! My hope, since Sophie is young, that the bump is a histiocytoma. These are benign bumps that are button-like, red, and hairless that can be seen in young dogs. They usually go away on their one in 2-3 months. Sometimes they ulcerate as they regress. If it gets larger, starts bothering Sophie or doesn’t go away in 2-3 months then you should have Sophie looked at by a Vet. There are other skin masses that can look like that, some are benign but there are ones that are also cancerous. I hope this helps and I wish Sophie the best!

It could be that the bump has turned into an abscess, or localised infection. Do you have any pictures that you could post ? Given the fact it does not affect him that much, if he is still well in himself , I would book him in for a check up after the week-end, sooner if becoming lethargic or not eating or even restless scratching at it. Have you tried to clean it gently ? Feel free to contact us in a consultation with pictures or just post pictures here.

Thanks for visiting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It can be concerning when you find a lump/bump on your pet. This one in particular could be a bug bite based on its appearance, but a growth can't be completely ruled out. If it is somewhat squishy, then a cyst like growth is more likely. I would certainly get it examined by your vet who can palpate the area and make a better determination here. Otherwise, I wouldn't worry too much about this skin lesion for now. I do hope that your appt goes well with Beamer on tomorrow. Best wishes and take care.

Thanks for visiting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. This looks like a possible bug bite based on how quickly this came about, and also the color and area that it is located. If it doesn't seem to bother Gracie, then I would recommend monitoring it for now to see if this resolves on its own within the next few days. You can apply a cold compress on the area (if needed) for 5-10 minutes to help with some of the swelling, and a very thin layer of Neosporin once every 12 hrs as needed; however, this is likely to resolve on its own as long as Gracie doesn't bother it and it doesn't spread. If the bump does appear to get worse over the next 24-48 hrs, then its best to get Gracie seen by your vet for stronger medication to get this to resolve. There is a slight chance that this is an infected pocket (abscess) that will require a short course of antibiotics and treatment to get this to heal well. I hope that everything works out well for your fur baby Gracie. Best wishes and take care.

Hello, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It is very difficult to tell much from the photos. It doesn't look like a bump, it looks more like red skin like she scraped it or something. The eyeball itself looks fine and the eye does not appear red or irritated which is good. I suggest you just monitor this throughout the weekend and if no improvement by early next week then get her to your vet for an exam. I don't think I'd be too worried at this stage. Hope this helps. Best wishes!