My dog has a soft, fluid-filled lump that burst and drains. What now?

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. What you are describing sounds as though this may be a cyst of some sort. However, I would be unable to confirm this with just a description. I would recommend having a veterinarian examine the growth so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. The vet can insert a small needle into the mass and look at the fluid / cells under a microscope to help determine what it could be, a test called a fine needle aspirate with cytology. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know 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! Without seeing the bumps it is hard to tell (the pictures don't do them justice). It sounds like they could be pockets of infections. But they could also be cysts (pockets of fluid). I would recommend cleaning the ones that popped with soap and water then seeing a vet tomorrow to look at them. They may need to stick a needle in the bump and look at the cells under a microscope to determine what they are. This will also help determine the treatment plan. Good luck and kisses to Kayla!

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. What i am seeing in the pictures is likely a sebaceous cyst that ruptured. These are common with older dogs and are benign. When these rupture there is a chance they will become infected so the best treatment is to have it removed to prevent this from happening. I would recommend consulting with your veterinarian about having this removed. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns.

Although I can't tell for sure, it is possible that Busta has a ruptured cyst. Cysts often contain thick yellow material that can rupture out when the cyst becomes too full for becomes traumatized. They often don't heal well as the tissue is abnormal and often become infected because dogs will lick or chew at them. I would recommend that you have him seen by your veterinarian. He may need antibiotics or to have the cyst removed.

Unfortunately, even in person I would be hard pressed to give you a diagnosis based only on appearance. When a client comes in with a pet that has an unknown mass, we typically consider the following as possibilities, taking many factors into account: a mass/tumor, an abscess, a cystic structure, an insect bite, an allergic reaction, or a bruise from trauma. If the structure has burst open, it is most likely not allergic or from an insect. Depending upon your dog's age, the time the lump has existed, the consistency of the fluid you have noted, and the presence / absence of any other clinical signs, one of the other options is most likely. Something the vet might be able to do is obtain some cellular material from the affected area, place it under a microscope, and see if there is any cellular material that is useful in obtaining a diagnosis. Other times, appearance alone can at least tell a vet whether or not there is an active infection. As far as the possibility of cancer, tumors are certainly able to open up as you have described. They are typically more common in elderly dogs, though even this is largely dependent on the type of tumor. I would schedule a visit with your vet sometime soon. I would also in the meantime prevent Pancakes from bothering with the area. You can either buy an e-collar from a store / vet, or try and make something homemade until a commercial one can be obtained (with it being Easter, finding a store open that has one may prove difficult). The purpose of this is to prevent any current infection from worsening, or absent infection from beginning. Hope this makes sense.

This looks like it could be a cyst or a skin tumor like a hemangioma. I find that once a skin growth ruptures it tends to happen again, so I would definitely recommend making an appointment to see your veterinarian. They will probably recommend surgically removing this growth.

Sometimes tumors can become cystic or fluid filled. In some cases we can drain these swellings but oftentimes they will refill. They may take just a day or two to refill, or months, and it is impossible to predict. If your dog is in otherwise good health I would talk to your vet about removing the growth or if they feel uncomfortable doing so, referring you to a veterinary surgeon with more experience removing large growths such as this. They may be willing to drain the swelling at your vet's office, just be warned that it can refill.