What's this grey lump on my senior dog's face? Vet or home care?

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Thanks for the picture! It looks like an engorged tick. Gently lift it up and if you see 8 legs then it is a tick. Pull it gently off the skin where the head attaches to the skin or you can have your Vet for Vet tech remove it for you. I would change the brand of tick prevention you are using or start using one. I hope this helps!

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It looks like a skin growth. I don't think it is a tick or any other skin parasite. Ticks feed on dogs for 3-4 days and then fall off. If this lump has been there for a few months it cannot be a tick or any other bug. Skin growths like this are common in older dogs. They are usually benign and not dangerous, but please show it to your vet the next time you take Lily in for an appointment.

I agree that this looks like an engorged tick on Bella's neck. Try to grab at the base of the attachment either firmly with a pair of tweezers or with your fingers, then smoothly and confidently pull it straight out. Your goal is to pull it straight out so that none of the mouth parts are left behind in the skin. If you're unable to remove it, seek veterinary attention for help in removing it. I can't tell what type of tick it is from the angles in this picture, but remember that ticks can transmit a variety of different infectious diseases. Due to this, I would have a blood test run on Bella in about 6 months to check for some of the more common diseases, like Lyme, Ehrlichia, or Anaplasma. If you don't already have her on a good flea and tick preventive medication, be sure to start one right away. I hope that everything goes well!

Unfortunately I cannot see this very clearly. Snce your dog is an older dog, this could be a nasty ulcerating tumor that would need to be examined by your vet, and possibly removed. This could also be a few ticks attached around the lesion. Check where those gray round things are attached to the skin: If you see little legs, then these are ticks, if not, then it is likely a tumor. Ticks can be removed manually with tweezers (grab tick carefully at the bottom closest to the skin and slowly pull up straight. It should then come out without leaving the head behind. If you are not sure, or worry about hurting your dog, take her to a vet for an exam, and removal.

I can't tell based on the photo if there are potential legs there. Try to look at the base of this thing near where it is attached to the ear to see if you see many legs sticking out on the sides. if there are no legs, then this is a mass. I would then recommend having your vet take a look at this for further testing and possible surgical removal. If this is a tick, then proper removal of the tick should be done with hemostats through your vet or any other person who is trained in proper tick removal. I would then recommend a high quality flea/tick preventative such as Simparica, Bravecto, Nexgard or even over the counter Advantix can work in many pets. I hope that this leads you towards a proper diagnosis of this questionable lesion on Ramsey's ear. Best of luck moving forward. Take care.

Hello my name is Dr. Elyse Macartney, and I would like to help answer you questions regarding Brandi's skin lump today. First of all thank you for sending the picture of the lump. From the picture you have sent the lump appears to be a skin growth. There are several types off lumps or masses that can grow in the skin of dogs such as sebaceous cysts, warts, abscesses, lipomas, and several types of cancers. Some of these cancers are benign and some are malignant, so careful observation is important, as well as having a vet examine it if you are concerned. My first step of advice for you would be to use a ruler to measure the lump today. Then repeat that measurement every few weeks. Continue to monitor the lump for growth, ulceration, pain, bleeding, swelling, and changes in texture or color. Rapidly growing and changing masses are more concerning, and may be a sign of malignancy. Because this is a new mass and because you have already observed growth, I would suggest taking Brandi in to have the mass examined by her veterinarian. The veterinarian will most likely want to take a sample of the cells within the mass using a FNA (fine needle aspirate). Using cytological examination of those cells, the type of mass can be identified and a treatment plan created. I hope this information was helpful, and I have included the link to further articles below. https://www.petcoach.co/article/lumps-on-dogs-when-you-should-be-concerned/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/can-pets-get-skin-cancer/

Thank you for contacting Pet Coach with your question about Zoe! From the picture, it doesn't appear to be a tick. This could be a nipple that is irritated, but without knowing where this is located, I can't say that for certain. It could also be a benign tumor or a malignant tumor. 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 her vet a call in the morning to make an appointment for her. Best of luck, I hope this helps!