My Yorkiepoo has a strange spot on his back. Should I biopsy?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is hard to know without being able to examine him. This could be a benign or malignant growth. 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 him evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. I am really hoping for something benign. Good luck and have a good night!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! These could be benign or malignant growths. 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 him evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. I am really hoping for something benign. Good luck and have a good day!

This could be an allergic reaction, a skin infection (bacterial or yeast) or even a skin tumor. You should have it examined by your veterinarian, as it is not possible to distinguish these by just looking at a photo. An bacterial skin infection can usually be treated with antibiotics , a fungal infection (yeast) with a fungicidal medicine. To identify a tumor, your vet may want to do a fine needle aspirate (he takes some material from the area in question with a needle and then looks at it under the microscope) to determine whether this is concerning.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! From the picture, I can see a small, flat, brown area that is slightly irregular. Though I cannot diagnose Mindy without seeing her in person, I would be happy to share some possible causes and advice on next steps. This could be a benign growth, similar to a mole or freckle on a person or a malignant growth (cancer). Several types of cancer can affect the skin, particularly lighter areas that have less hair. The area does not seem to be infected, as there is no discharge, redness, or swelling, but a bacterial or fungal infection is a possibility. You can have Mindy evaluated by a veterinarian who can take a small piece, or biopsy of the area to definitively diagnose the growth. This may require light sedation or general anesthesia to completely remove it. You can continue to monitor the area for an increase in size, margins, change in color, or additional discharge. If you notice any change in Mindy, you should definitely have her examined by a veterinarian as soon as possible. I hope this helps!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This could be a benign or malignant growth. 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 him evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. I am really hoping for something benign. Good luck and have a good night!

I always recommend any new skin masses to be checked out by the veterinarian. Sometimes the doctor will know what it is by examining it. More often though, they need to collect a small sample of cells and look under the microscope. Especially concerning are pink/red masses as they can be a cancer called a Mast Cell Tumor (although other benign growths can look similar). It’s always better to be safe. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

This could be a cyst, an infection, plaque or even a skin tumor like a melanoma. Masses that grow suddenly, change in color/size/are painful are more concerning than those that do not change. The only way to know for sure what this mass is would be for your veterinarian to do an exam and potentially biopsy it. I do not recommend applying any ointment or other medication yet as it could be harmful depending on what it is.