My dog's sore isn't healing and looks larger. Could it be cancer?

A non-healing wound is often cancer. There are other possibilities: it could be a resistant bacterial infection. a foreign object in the skin (like a small piece of wood, grass or a bone fragment) that is causing it not to heal, it could be an auto-immune disease, etc. He needs to see a vet for an exam and some testing. There is no way we can give you a definitive diagnosis over the internet. The wound needs to be cultured an biopsied.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I recommend taking Sable to the vet to look at the growth closer and find out what it is. The vet can stick a needle in it and look at the cells under a microscope to determine if it’s cancerous or not. Because the tissue/skin is fragile it likely won’t stop bleeding and may need to be surgically removed. I would leave it alone until the vet looks at it so you don’t disrupt the blood clot that forms. Good luck and kisses to Sable!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This may be benign or malignant growths. This could even be an infection. This cannot be completely assessed just by looking at pictures or a description and usually requires sampling such as fine needle aspiration to determine its origin. Sometimes a biopsy is needed for a definitive diagnosis. I recommend that you have her evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. I am really hoping for something benign. Good luck and have a good day!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This could be a benign or malignant growth. This could be just an infection though I am suspicious that there is a growth underneath causing this. There is no way of knowing what it is just based on its appearance. 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. This is severe and no home remedies are expected to improve this. I recommend that you have her evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. I am really hoping for something benign. Good luck and have a good night!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. It appears from the pictures that the area is healing over. If this is dry and dark in color, this indicates it is likely healing. This spot will likely flake off once completely healed. If it continues to grow in size or does not resolve, I would have the veterinarian recheck the area so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further. Please remember to rate this answer as helpful or not. Thank you!

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, 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!