My 6-month-old dog has a soft growth on his leg. Is it a hygroma?

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.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! From your pictures it appears Logan has an elbow hygroma. A hygroma is a fluid-filled swelling caused by repeated trauma. These non-painful swellings typically occur over a pressure point or bony prominence such as the outside elbow. A non-infected hygroma is largely just a cosmetic worry. You can try to help by adding extra padding to bedding and buying special elbow pads. With this type of therapy it is possible to have it resolve with in several weeks. Infected hygromas require surgical intervention. I hope this helps and I wish Logan the best!

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!

Any lumps/bumps that you notice on your dog should be checked out by your vet. Lumps can be any of these things: * abscess (infection) * cyst * cancer (benign or malignant) * wart * hygroma * hernia Unfortunately, there is no way I can tell you what it is with 100% certainty just based on your description or by looking at a photo but I have a suspicion that you are correct and it is a hygroma. If you are worried it is always best to get something like this checked out sooner rather than later.

I am sorry to hear about your concern for Nyte! There are numerous possibilities for this swelling. One of the most common would be a hygroma, which is a fluid filled bursae that we can see often on the elbows and sometimes on the hock of dogs. It is often associated with laying on hard surfaces (some dogs like to lay on hard floors because they are cooler). Other possible causes could include an infection of the joint, a cyst, or a mass/tumor (and some of these are benign/not aggressive). I would recommend a visit to your vet to examine the area. They may recommend a needle aspirate of the swelling, or an xray to help determine the cause. Until your appointment try to provide soft bedding for your dog to lay on when possible to decrease pressure over the area.

Yes, this looks like a hygroma. In addition to having him lay on a soft bed I recommend getting dogleggs elbow protectors. You can have him wear them until the hygroma resolves and his elbow forms a callus. It will protect the other elbow also. If Rocky is like most dogs he will continue to lay on hard surfaces even if you have beds available. The elbow protection will reduce the chances of the hygroma getting infected or bigger. Dogleggs.com., they are a great company and have the best elbow protection available. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Rocky.

He probably has an elbow hygroma from lying on a hard surface. Encourage him to lie on a soft, padded surface. Have him examined by your vet, he/she could bandage the area to provide extra padding or fit him for a specialy made wrap from Dog Leggs. http://www.dogleggs.com/standard-length-adjustable-dogleggs/