What's this soft, non-tender lump on my dog's back/hip? Emergency?

These lumps are not typical of a flea allergy dermatitis. That typically is just a superficial rash with itching, hair loss, scabs, etc. These lumps are concerning. Your pet may have developed abscesses which are deeper infections that form pockets of pus or infectious fluid. This is worth a trip to the vet for a recheck. I do not feel that it is a life threatening emergency, but it should be addressed by your veterinarian as soon as regular business hours resume. Your pet may need prescription antibiotics, the lumps may need to be aspirated or checked with a needle and if they are full of pus, they should be drained. Please have your vet recheck him as soon as possible,

Has he been licking at it? Can you identify a wound on it? It may be an abscess (localized infection) under the skin, as thise can show up very quickly. You can shave the hair over the top and clean it with dilute Betadine (available at any pharmacy - use water to dilute it so it looks like tea). Put an ecollar (cone) on him to prevent him from biting or chewing on it, and make an appointment with your vet as soon as you can—but it’s not something you need to see an emergency vet for as long as it’s not seeming painful and he’s eating and acting normally. Other possible causes would be some type of tumor (though less likely with his age), or a fluid accumulation called a seroma. Your vet may Do a fine needle aspirate (poke the bump with a needle and then look at cells under the microscope) to see what it is and then know how best to treat it. Thank you for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

In most cases this would be fluid swelling under the skin and there is no need to remove it. Considering she is otherwise normal and is not sensitive to it, it will be fine to just monitor it for now. If it happens to get very big (larger than a baseball), or she is having other issues, then I'd recommend a visit to the vet. Otherwise, it should start to go down within two weeks. I hope that helps and all is well with Missy.

Hi Sinead! The answer to your question depends on a few things. If the lump has come up suddenly, it has been getting bigger by the day, it bothers her, and/or she has had changes in behavior such as eating less, vomiting, and lethargy, then yes I would take her into an ER vet. If this lump on Roxt isn't bothering her, it doesn't get any bigger, and she's acting normally, then it's fine to wait until next week. Good luck, I hope this helps!

I think this is not an emergency and can wait to be seen tomorrow. The only thing that may happen is that this abscess bursts until then. If that happens, gently wipe off the pus, do not flush or put ointment on the wound, leave it as it is. It is likely painful at the moment, but once the abscess bursts the pain will be over. Your vet will lance and flush the abscess and prescribe an antibiotic if needed.

This can be a benign lump, or it could be a lipoma or cyst. 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. I'd give his vet a call tomorrow to make him an appointment. Best of luck.

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Lockjaw. I'm wondering if that area is an abscess that has now ruptured. It doesn't look great, but if he is eating and drinking, he does not have a fever, and the area isn't hot, you can wait until tomorrow morning to have him seen by his vet. If the area becomes hot, he gets a fever, or he stops eating or drinking, have him seen by an ER vet right away. I hope this helps!