My dog has a stomach lump and scratch. Should I take him to the vet?

Hello there from across the pond! Lumps and bumps on older dogs are fairly typical and are to be expected with an older pet. By and large, lumps and bumps that are round, smooth, and/or freely movable generally speaking are not causes for alarm. However, lumps and bumps that become red, inflamed, warm to the touch, itchy, have rough edges, are rapidly growing, or have discharge coming from them need to be looked at by a veterinarian and have them assessed. Regardless, I would recommend your veterinarian take a look at Chester and take small sample of the small mass he has and look at it under a microscope. From there, your vet can determine the nature of the mass and if it is concerning. You may also discuss surgical removal of the small mass if that is recommended by your vet. I hope this has helped!

This lump/growth should be ideally examined by your veterinarian to have a definitive diagnosis. Your vet will examine it and possibly perform with an FNA (fine needle aspiration) or a biopsy. Differentials would include skin cyst, infections or benign or malignant type of tumors. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

I would get that checked to be safe. It looks a little like a staph infection or, more concerning, ringworm. Ringworm tends to be itchy and spreads and is highly contagious to other pets and people in the household. Your vet will do an exam and some labwork to determine the cause and based on those results will be better able to tell you what is going on and the best course of treatment.

Hello. It is always best to have any lumps, bumps or new lesions checked out as soon as possible, but if it does not seem to be bothering Lola & it is not bleeding or oozing, then you can probably wail a day or so to have it looked at. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

It's concerning this lump has gotten bigger, and it could be a cyst, a benign growth, or a malignant growth. 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. Give S's vet a call to make her an appointment.

I am sorry to hear about your concern for Mia! A photo may help give us a little more information about what could be going on with her. A lump could be something like an abscess or site of infection, a hernia (a small hole in the muscle wall of the abdomen where internal structures or fat may poke through), or a mass (we can have benign masses/tumors such as lipomas that are just fat and not a health concern and we can have masses/tumors that are malignant and can spread and require removal). I would recommend taking her in for your vet to examine the area. They may recommend what is called a "needle aspirate" where a small needle is inserted into the mass to collect cells to help determine the cause of the lump.

Hello, & thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. The end of the nodule seems to have an ulcerated appearance which concerns me. Definitely have your vet take a look at this. I would recommend removal & having the tissue sent for pathology for identification. It looks like a full excision should be curative. Hope this helps. Take care.