My dog's skin tag changed, now has blood vessels. What should I do?

I am sorry to hear about Zoe. I would definitely recommend bringing her in to the vet to have this growth examined. If it is refilling with blood quickly it would be best to remove the growth surgically because we would be concerned there could be a large blood vessel associated with it and trauma could cause it to break open and have excessive bleeding. We would also want to be sure this is not a more serious growth than a skin tag because there are some more aggressive tumors of the skin such as cutaneous hemangiosarcoma that need to be treated more aggressively.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Thanks for the pictures! Some benign skin bumps, especially sebaceous adenomas can produce discharge. If the bump has been oozing puss and blood it is best to have your Vet re-evaluate it to either: 1) shave the fur, clean it and provide antibiotics or 2) discuss removing it since it has changed and now may continue to be a source of irritation and infection for Cooper. I hope this helps and I wish you and Cooper the best!

It may be that the mass has been injured or become infected. I would recommend to wash it with antibacterial soap daily and you can apply a topical antibiotic. I would still recommend to get Roscoe to the vet as early as you can. The doctor may recommend to have the mass removed and tested. Please post again with any future questions and I hope this helps!

I would recommend that you have Varna evaluated by a vet. From your description, she may have many small hemangiomas. These types of tumors are usually benign, but can keep popping up. If they rupture they can bleed and become infected. From the picture, the mass could be a hemangioma, or something else like a mast cell tumor. Your vet will be able to examine Varna, and may take a small sample of cells with a needle for examination under a microscope. Once they have a better idea of what the mass is made of, they can recommend an appropriate treatment, if any.

Yes, it is a tumour. I would have it rechecked and have it sampled to see what kind of tumour it is. All skin lumps are tumours, but some are completely harmless, some can spread locally, others can spread to different parts of the body. A small test, such as a fine needle aspirate, might give you more of an idea. Good luck !

Hello, Smurf's skin tag may not be much to be worried about since it has been there for over a year. However it is not your typical skin mass in terms or color and appearance and some of those dark pigmented skin masses can be malignant. The only way to really know though is by removing it. I would consult with your veterinarian about removing the mass and submitting it for biopsy so that your can know for sure if it is benign or malignant. The mass is small so surgery shouldn't be too extensive, but they may require pre-surgical bloodwork and x-rays. Hope this helps and best of luck.

This lump/bump/growth should be ideally examined by your local vet to have a diagnosis established. Your vet may want to perform an FNA (fine needle aspiration) or a biopsy to sample the bump and determine its underlying nature. Differentials would include skin cysts, infections, benign or more malignant type of tumors. Disinfection may be started at home with very diluted hibiscrub or betadine or salted water baths. Buster collar may be useful as well to avoid any licking. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!