My pet has a skin lump. Could it be cancerous or will it just go away?

I would absolutely take Jasmine in to the vet. That is very big and concerning to me. He or she may recommend a cytology (poking the mass with a slim needle and looking at the cells under the microscope) or a biopsy to determine if it needs to be removed or just monitored. Heaven forbid it needs to be removed, it will be a very difficult surgery as there is very little skin to work with there and if it gets bigger, it will be even harder to remove.

I recommend to take Greta to see her veterinarian. While most skin masses are benign, masses that a red/pink, hairless and raised are a concern for a malignant skin tumor called a Mast Cell tumor. It also appears as though this mass is ulcerated regardless and it needs to be removed. Once masses grow to the point of ulceration, they will heal and break open over and over again which can make them prone to infections not to mention oozing/bleeding. Just like with a human, the doctor will likely take a sample of the mass or remove the mass entirely and microscopically exam it. Thats the only way to know what it is accurately. In the mean time, protect the mass from trauma and wash it daily with an antibacterial hand soap (rinse it well). You can apply a small amount of coconut oil and rub it well into the skin. This may help the wound to heal a little faster. I hope this helps to point you in the right direction. Please feel free to post any further questions!

Thanks for visiting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This appears to be a skin mass/tumor and can be either benign (non-cancerous) or malignant (cancerous). My hunch tells me it is likely a sebaceous gland cyst (benign tumor); however, it is always best to get masses tested through your vet to be sure. Masses like this are often removed during another surgical procedure, such as a teeth cleaning. Removal should be considered in case this thing ruptures or causes irritation to Sydney in the near future. I hope things work out well for your pet Sydney. Take care.

Hi and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. If the lum has not gotten bigger and remains stable in size and character, I think it is safe to wait until the 18th for removal. Your veterinarian is likely concerned the mass is cancerous. Therefore she is likely recommending removal for a better diagnosis. It really could be anything, from an infected cancerous mass or an infected benign mass. Removal of the mass and sending it for histopathology would be the gold standard for diagnosis and prognosis.

If conventional treatment has not prevented Lacy from getting at the mass, then have her seen by your veterinarian. She may need to have it surgically removed. Once that is done, it can be submitted for pathology to make sure it isn't anything to worry about. It could be a benign skin mass (sebaceous adenoma) that is common in older dogs. Removing it does not guarantee it will not regrow or keep others from popping up.

Poor guy. This does appear to be a very angry mass and I am a bit worried about the color. I would highly recommend getting this mass removed surgicallly by your vet and submitted for analysis. The color is suggestive that this can be a cancerous mass, so getting it removed is best for him moving forward. Even if it isn't cancerous, it is already showing signs that this mass will be hard to stabilize otherwise, so surgical removal may be the best option here I hope that your pet Benson gets some resolve to his angry skin mass soon! Best wishes and take care.

There is no way for me (or any other vet) to tell if the mass is cancerous or not just by looking at it. You will need to have your vet either surgically remove it and send it to a diagnostic laboratory so they can examine it under a microscope. Only then can you have a diagnosis of cancerous or not. There is a way to get a preliminary idea without surgery and that is with a fine needle aspirate. Your vet will put a needle directly into the mass (anesthesia is not required) and pull out some cells, put those cells on a microscope slide and then analyze them. This may give you a cursory idea of what type of mass it is. So, one of those things will need to be done before you can get an answer. Hope this helps.