What's this small, hard, pink lump on my dog's elbow? Is it serious?

That's a good size growth. This could be benign or malignant. 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 Tana's vet a call in the morning to make her an appointment.

Thank you for your question. A swelling like this could be a couple of things. If Blue does not appear painful and is not limping, this may just be a hygroma, which is just a fluid filled swelling from laying on the hard ground. If this is the case, I would simply recommend soft bedding, and try to keep him from laying directly on the hard floor, and it should improve over 2-3 weeks. If it is painful to the touch, hot, or if Blue is limping, this could be an infection and he should be seen by your veterinarian as soon as you can get him in. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This could be a benign or malignant growth. This could also be a hygroma. 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 him evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. I am really hoping for something benign. Good luck and have a good day!

It's difficult to tell you exactly what this mark is from the photo as I can't tell contextually what part of the leg I'm looking at. For example a mark like this would be really common in the elbow region on the front limb as it is a pressure point where they lie down. Sometimes it forms a lump called an elbow hygroma. So if it is in the elbow region I would not worry. However if this is occurring somewhere that is not a pressure point when lying down I would be concerned about a skin infection and have it checked out and treated by your vet.

That could just be a wart, but since it popped up, it's worth getting checked by your vet. Since it's located near her elbow, she may rub it getting up and down since many dogs develop a callus in that same general area. Your vet will do an exam, maybe some further diagnostics if she needs them, and based on their findings, your vet will be better able to tell you what it is and recommend any treatment if needed.

With how quickly the bump appeared on Ellie, I recommend having your veterinarian take an aspirate of it. An aspirate consists of your veterinarian placing a needle in the growth to try to collect cells. They can then evaluate it under a microscope or send it to a pathologist to evaluate. This may or may not get us a complete answer. The bump could be a benign (non-cancerous) growth but it also could be something to be concerned about. The best way to determine if this is something at all to be concerned about is to remove the growth under anesthesia, send the growth to a pathologist and have a pathologist examine the tissue.

Sam is at an age where a lump could be malignant, and I don't like the way this looks in your picture. I cannot diagnose malignancy from a picture, however. 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. Best of luck.