My older dog has a new growth. Is it a skin tag or something worse?

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It looks like a skin tag. However, the fact that the area is bald suggests that Tripp has been scratching or biting on it. Please, monitor the area for a few days. If you notice that the tag is getting bigger or if it is bothering Tripp, you should get him checked by your local vets. In that case, surgical removal of the wart may be necessary.

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Casey and for providing a picture. It's very helpful! That looks more than a skin tag, but the photo is a little blurry. I'm actually concerned with how it looks, and it may be he's been scratching at it so much it's ripped open. This definitely needs to be checked out by a vet. Give his vet a call now to make him an appointment. Until you get into the vet, I'd put a bandage over it to protect it and keep him from scratching at it. I hope this helps!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor guy! Without seeing a picture it is hard to know if it is a skin tag or not. Since he is young it could be a histiocytoma, which are pink hairless button like growths on the skin. They are benign and tend to regress in 2-3 months. Skin tag are also benign. It is likely genetics and chronic trauma/pressure that cause them to form, as most skin tags are on the underside and legs where dogs lay on. They are normal in some dogs like boxers, pit bull and pit mixes, great danes. If you want to post a picture I'd be happy to look at it. Have a great day!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I agree that they do not sound like skin tags. These could be benign or malignant growths. 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 night!

Hi and thank you for posting your question! From the picture, it looks like a skin tag which can grow over time and become larger. Usually these are not anything to worry too much about, although if it starts to become larger, red, swollen, or infected, you may want to have your veterinarian take a closer look. You can always have the mass aspirated and a sample sample taken from it to see if it is anything concerning. That is the only way to really definitively diagnosis any mass. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and I hope this has helped!

Hi, I'm Dr Johnson. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Based on your picture it looks like the bump is probably a skin tag. But it could be a benign mass or a cancerous one. You could talk to your Vet about removing it locally with lidocaine and sending it out for biopsy. Good luck!

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question. It does look like a skin tag, but I can't say for 100% certainty without seeing Luna in person. It is worth getting checked out by a vet just to make sure it is a skin tag and not something more serious. I hope this helps!