My dog has skin scabs and a history of MCT. Should I see a vet?

It does appear to be a growth in the skin with a scab on top and very red. If he has a history of mast cell tumors then it is safest to have it removed or aspirate some cells to check for them again. Are you in any medicines for an infection because it could benefit from those either way due to the scabs? Try to not push it or squeeze it as this can make a mast cell worse and spread and keep the scabs clean until you can get it evaluated again

It doesn't look like a MCT, but they can take on different appearances. It maybe a benign growth or skin tag. The only way to find out would be to have Buddy examined by your veterinarian. A fine needle aspirate can be done in the clinic to collect samples for pathology. This may provide a diagnosis. In the meantime, monitor it for rapid change or growth. Consider having it removed if it causes pain, impedes motion or changes rapidly.

I see that Tyson is a boxer, and they can be prone to mast cell tumors. Of course this could be a scab, but without seeing him in person, I can't say for certain. 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 his vet a call in the morning to make him an appointment. I hope this helps.

Anytime a new mass is noticed, I always recommend having it evaluated to see what it is and if anything needs to be done about it. Unfortunately, we often can't tell anything about a mass by just looking at it. 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. They may even need to send the cells to the lab for a pathologist to examine them, so we know what the mass is. If it is benign, you might not need to do anything about the mass at all, but if they see cells that worry them, they might recommend removing the mass. Since Qbert has scratched the mass, I think it is certainly worth having your veterinarian examine it again and evaluate a sample to make sure that it is benign. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi there and thank you for your post! Judging from the pictures and your description, these skin lesions are likely benign but it would be difficult to rule out if they are cancerous or not based on pictures and a description unfortunately. If the skin was damaged sometimes Scar Tissue can come back as a discolored portion of the skin. So what you may be seeing is scar tissue that is hyperpigmentation. As with any Mass, I typically recommend further testing to help determine what the mask could be. A simple test called a fine needle aspirate can be performed. This test is when the veterinarian inserts a small needle into the mass to obtain cells. These cells are then assessed under a microscope to help better determine what the mass could be. So if you would like to know more what these masses could be, I would recommend having your veterinarian examine them and have a fine needle aspirate done. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please feel free to contact me if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly due to allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing his allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!

Hello, and thank you for your question. The lesion in the photos may be due to a bacterial infection (abscess), fungal infection (ringworm), parasites, an underlying allergy, or a tumour if it feels like a lump underneath. Because of the multiple possible causes, I would recommend getting Moose seen by a vet within the next few days. They may recommend testing such as a skin scraping, cytology, fungal culture, or a fine needle aspirate to narrow down the diagnosis. At minimum, they can prescribe antibiotics for secondary infection, or allergy medication if he is itchy. In the meantime, I would put an e-collar (cone) on his head to prevent any further trauma. I hope this helps, and that Moose gets better soon!