My dog has soft, leaking lumps. Is removal needed even if not cancer?

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Piper! The only way we can 100% know for sure a mass isn't cancerous is by either aspirating the mass with a needle or biopsying it. When a mass changes I always recommend that the animal be seen by their Vet to have it checked. The fact the mass opened up dictates the need to have it looked at and a minimum of antibiotics started. Hopefully it is just a ruptured follicular cyst that is infected. But I think you should have the mass removed and biopsied. I am afraid it will not heal well and continually leak bloody fluid. I hope this helps and I wish Piper the best!

With any new lump or lump that is changing, it is always best to have your veterinarian look at them and a fine needle aspirated can be done to obtain a sample of cells. If these cells look suspicious of a malignancy, then your vet can recommend surgery. From the photos that you have posted, my guess is that these may be benign, non-cancerous masses. These can still cause problems, though, by bleeding and getting infected. I would schedule Max for an exam at your earliest convenience so that you and your vet can weigh the pros and cons of surgery since he is a senior.

Poor girl. Because this mass is open and seems to be bothering her I would highly consider having this mass removed surgically. Sometimes if the mass is small (less than 2 cm's) we can do a sedative on the pet and quickly remove these. However if it is a larger mass then general anesthesia may be required. She also needs to be placed on oral antibiotics to keep this area from getting infected and daily cleaning of the mass as well. Sterile saline flushes can help keep this area relatively clean and then an e-collar placed on her can help prevent licking. If surgery isn't an option for you, then medical management with antibiotics, e-collar and regular cleanings may allow proper healing of the area, but in most cases surgical removal is the best option. Best of luck!

I recommend to take Greta to see her veterinarian. While most skin masses are benign, masses that a red/pink, hairless and raised are a concern for a malignant skin tumor called a Mast Cell tumor. It also appears as though this mass is ulcerated regardless and it needs to be removed. Once masses grow to the point of ulceration, they will heal and break open over and over again which can make them prone to infections not to mention oozing/bleeding. Just like with a human, the doctor will likely take a sample of the mass or remove the mass entirely and microscopically exam it. Thats the only way to know what it is accurately. In the mean time, protect the mass from trauma and wash it daily with an antibacterial hand soap (rinse it well). You can apply a small amount of coconut oil and rub it well into the skin. This may help the wound to heal a little faster. I hope this helps to point you in the right direction. Please feel free to post any further questions!

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.

If conventional treatment has not prevented Lacy from getting at the mass, then have her seen by your veterinarian. She may need to have it surgically removed. Once that is done, it can be submitted for pathology to make sure it isn't anything to worry about. It could be a benign skin mass (sebaceous adenoma) that is common in older dogs. Removing it does not guarantee it will not regrow or keep others from popping up.

This looks infected. It's also possible the tumor outgrew it's blood supply and is necrotic in the center. I recommend to have Avril examined again. Have the mass aspirated and sent to a lab for testing to make sure it's not cancer. I hope this helps.