Dog's stomach wound won't heal; vets can't diagnose. What now?

Without further testing, there is no way to tell if this growth is due to infection, trauma or allergy, or if it is a tumour. Tumours can be of a malignant (cancerous) type that can spread elsewhere and/ or invade the healthy tissue around them, or a more benign (noncancerous) type that is unlikely to spread. I recommend making an appointment to see your vet to have the growth tested. In many cases this can be done using a fine needle aspirate, where cells are removed from the growth using a needle and examined under a microscope to determine what it is and to guide treatment. In some cases further testing may be needed to determine the necessary course of treatment, but it is important to get new growths tested in a timely manner, as some can be cancerous and quite aggressive in their growth, and growths due to infection, allergy or trauma can lead to complications or be indicators of underlying health problems. In the meantime, it is very important that you keep Trey from licking the area to help prevent infection by making sure he wears the “cone” (also known as an e-collar or Elizabethan collar) at all times when he is not being directly supervised by you, including while sleeping. Pain medications meant for humans can be very dangerous (and even deadly) for dogs, so I do not recommend giving any to your pup without consulting with your vet. Your veterinarian can prescribe safe medication to help with the pain as needed. Hope your pup feels better soon!

I am very sorry to hear about your labrador. It sounds like he needs to have diagnostic imaging (x-rays or preferably ultrasound) performed to examine the abdominal cavity, or if that is not an option, an exploratory surgery may be needed. I would be concerned about a large abscess or a tumor that had a cystic or abscessed area, but truly to determine the cause and whether or not treatment will be helpful further investigation is needed.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Lucky. Since the wound is not healing, I am concerned that he actually has a mass. I would recommend seeing his veterinarian for a procedure known as a fine needle aspirate. The veterinarian will use a small needle to collect a sample of cells to evaluate under the microscope. There is a benign growth called a histiocytoma that is common in young dogs. Unfortunately, there is also an aggressive form of skin cancer known as a mast cell tumor. This second mass has the same outward appearance as the benign growth. For this reason, it must be evaluated microscopically. I hope this information helps!

Unfortunately, there is no way to tell what this is without removing it. And, I agree that it should be removed, because this has a cancerous appearance and could get much worse and/or spread. The histopathology (identification) is very important for determining the potential it has for being cancerous, which may indicate further treatment. Further treatment often involves more tests, chemotherapy or other cancer therapies. If this is not something that you would pursue, then the histopathology may not be worth it. I hope that helps and Lady gets better soon.

That area could be a ruptured abscess, a ruptured cyst or the previous home of a worm larvae. You can continue treating it like you are. Make sure Eleven wears and elizabethan collar at all times to prevent any licking which could make it worse. If the lesion is not healing within one week or is getting worse at any a point, have her examined by the veterinarian. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Oh my. Poor girl. This doesn't sound like your typical hot spot/abscess due to trauma. There is an underlying factor here. Some possible causes are: an autoimmune skin condition, a resistant bacterial infection, skin cancer, or a mite infection with subsequent skin infections. I would highly recommend starting with a skin biopsy, which will give you a lot of information on the underlying cause and what treatment is needed. A skin bacterial culture should also be considered to determine if there is a resitant bacteria growing on Cali's skin that is not susceptible to the antibiotics tried so far. After these tests are done we should have a good idea or what we are dealing with and what treatment will likely resolve it. Best of luck with Cali and her skin woes. I hope things clear up soon!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This could be a benign or malignant growth. 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. 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!