My dog has a slow-growing thigh lump. Is this bump serious or benign?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! The fact that it has been growing slowly is good though it can still be a malignant tumor and removal would be recommended if there is no evidence of cancer spread to other organs. It probably changed in size and shape as a reaction to the aspiration. Given that it is so close to her mammary glands this may be a mammary tumor. Further recommendations would be made after it is removed and the biopsy read out. Good luck and have a great day!

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.

Hello, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I'm sorry Mia is having this issue. If this was a simple injury surely it would have healed by now. The fact that it has been going for a year and is growing, I would recommend you have it surgically removed and sent off to a lab for histopathology. Due to the location of this mass, if it gets much larger it will be harder to remove as there is not a lot of extra skin to close a large incision in that area. This is just my opinion. What the mass actually is though, I cannot say just by looking at a photo. It may be benign but it could also be malignant. The histopathology will tell which it is. It could also be that she has a foreign body (maybe a splinter or something) under the skin that is festering so this may not be a mass at all. It is really difficult for me to say just by looking at the photo. It is a possibility however, I would have expected it to cause more of an infection by now if that was the case. Still a possibility though. You are always welcome to get a second opinion by another vet that can examine her in person. Remember, you know Mia best and need to be her advocate. If you are uncomfortable or have a bad feeling about something then voice those concerns. In my opinion it is always better to be safe than sorry. If you are worried then removing the mass is the best option. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Hello, Thanks for the good photo. Due to the location, there's not a lot of extra skin in that region if it does get much larger and need surgical removal, which could make the procedure more difficult. If possible, I'd want to surgically remove it and biopsy it sooner rather than later. Since it's minimally invasive, I would feel fine about having the procedure done even if it is benign- even benign masses can become problematic with size and infections later. It could be preventive for future issues. Have a good evening. Best of luck.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This could be a benign or malignant growth. This is often differentiated by a test called a fine needle aspirate (FNA) which is a pain free, inexpensive and easy procedure which in most cases will help reach a diagnosis. Sometimes a biopsy is needed for a definitive diagnosis. I recommend that you have her evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. I am really hoping for something benign. Good luck and have a good night!

This is a tumor. It's hard for me to tell the location on the dog from the photo. If it's growing quickly then it's more likely malignant and could spread to other parts of the body. If it's been there a long time then it's more likely benign. At the base it looks inflamed and may open up and drain. That would be messy and make it more likely to get a bad infection. If your dog is healthy even at age 13 I would have this removed, and they can biopsy it to determine the type of tumor. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Dexter.

Poor Precious! I know you are worried about you! Good news is that most mast cell tumors are easily distinguished on an fine needle aspire (FNA). The chances of it being a mast cell tumor is less likely but not completely ruled out. Also, the fact that it hasn't grown much and the cells on the FNA were very similar in size and shape means it is likely benign. I think you are making the best decision to have it surgically removed and tested. Also, it is likely more oval due to some local inflammation secondary to the minor trauma a FNA causes. I hope this helps!