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My old dog has painful skin lumps. Could they be old dog warts?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Wire Fox Terrier | Male | neutered | 10 years and 5 months old | 22 lbs

wft 10 yrs6mos hard mass kind of protruding moveable on left between ribs and pelvis and on right closer to rib cage. pic shows tumor location between 2nd and 3rd fingers both sides. growls after pushing on it, had gas. crusty nose pink globular mass rt shoulder 3 mm shown with hand in pic, pink globular mass right haunch almost like a skin tag 6 mmx4mmx2mm growls alot to look at that one

3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Daniel Fonza, DVM

Answered By Daniel Fonza, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on September 13th, 2017

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. From the pictures that you have provided the skin masses that you have noticed look very similar to a benign skin tumor known as a sebaceous adenoma. I call these old dog warts when using layman's terms. These are typically benign tumors of the skin which occur with older aged animals. If you are at all concerned about these then I would suggest having your veterinarian examine them and make a determination on what exactly they are. Otherwise, I would continue to monitor them for changes such as an increase in size then I would suggest having your veterinarian examine them and make a determination on what exactly they are. Otherwise, I would continue to monitor them for changes such as an increase in size or if they begin to discharge. I hope this helps! Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any further questions or concerns. I am also available via phone or text based consultation if needed.
Vote Icon1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

  • Answered By Sarah Derksen, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on June 26th, 2019

    Hi. These luckily look like benign sebaceous , wart like masses that many dogs get as they get older. They can grown, get in the way and even bleed, but they arent a cancerous mass if it is what I believe they look like. If you have any concern though and want to be sure, I would recommend getting him seen

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    4Pet Parents found this answer helpful

  • Answered By Debi Matlack

    Veterinary Technician

    Published on November 6th, 2020

    It could be as simple as a wart, older dogs do tend to end with a few. Keep an eye on it and if it changes at all, get your vet to have a look to make sure it isn't something more serious. If your dog has a procedure done, like a dental cleaning, they can take that off at the same time, since sometimes these lumps and bumps can get irritated and inflamed if they are located in an area he can scratch or get it caught on something,

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    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Smart Picks for Smart Questions

Vet Q & A
My old dog has skin bumps on her back and face. Are they warts?
Hi there and thank you for using Pet Coach! From the pictures you provided, I would suspect these to be what we call sebaceous adenomas. These are benign masses of the skin / glands of the skin that typically occur in older animals. We sometimes call these "old dog warts" and they are nothing to be concerned about. Unless they are bleeding, bothering the dog or infected, we just monitor them for any changes and remove them if any of the above occur. If Tess is due for a dental cleaning, you can always have these removed at the same time if needed. Otherwise, you can just monitor these for now. There is a good chance more will begin to show up as Tess ages. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns.
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Vet Q & A
What are these wart-like growths on my 5-year-old Lhasa Apso's skin?
Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! As dogs age, they can develop wart-like growths known as adenomas which are benign (non-cancerous) growths. These can be monitored, but if they start bleeding, become infected or she starts scratching at them they can need to be removed. I would recommend she be seen by her regular veterinarian to determine if these are benign wart-like growths, or if they are something more concerning (such as a mast cell tumor). Good luck!
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Health & Wellness
My older dog has spreading skin growths. Should I be concerned?
Thank you for submitting your question regarding Diamond. The skin mass on the leg in the picture you submitted appears to be a wart like growth. These are common in older dogs and more tend to appear over time. If this is the growth you are referring to, then they are typically not anything to worry about. The only time I consider surgically removing such a mass is if it bleeds or becomes infected. I hope this information helps!
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Health & Wellness
What are the odds skin tags and bumps on my senior dog are cancer?
I agree that the first picture appears to be a skin tag and the second picture looks like it could be a cyst or perhaps a Sebaceous adenoma. I am not too concerned about these masses, but obviously an examination is far better than an evaluation of a picture. If your veterinarian is concerned they appear small enough that perhaps removal with just a local anesthesia may work. Best of luck and I hope she does well. Thank you for using Pet Coach.
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Health & Wellness
My dog has a lump. Is it a wart or could it be skin cancer?
Luckily no, this is a wart which is a benign skin growth. Many dogs get warts as they age and they are nothing to be overly concerned about unless they get very large or are in a location to be cut when dogs are getting groomed. If they enlarge then we recommend surgical removal. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for your dog.
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Vet Q & A
My senior dog has bleeding, oozing warts on her back. Is it serious?
The pictures look like benign warts, but It is always a good idea to have your vet examine any masses on M. In general, if a wart is bleeding it is worth considering removing it, so it would be worth discussing that with your vet as well. However, we often do not remove warts if they are not causing a problem. I have attached a link below with more information on warts. https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=1934 I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Vet Q & A
What are these buttons all over my dog's body? Are they warts?
Hello there. We call these "old man warts". So I am curious if maybe your dog is a bit older than 4.5 years old. Regardless, these growths usually occur in these breed-types of dogs and are NOT a cancerous process. However, sometimes they can be irritating to the dog themselves and they may scratch or bite at them. If this is the case, they can bleed and/or become infected and should be surgically removed by your veterinarian simply because they are irritating to Patch. If they are not bothering Patch at this time, I would recommend to continue to monitor them and let your veterinarian know about them the next time Patch is in for a visit.
Updated on September 23rd, 2025

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