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Why does my puppy have a red, itchy, hairless bump on his chest?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Shar Pei | Male | neutered | 8 months and 6 days old | 40 lbs

My sharpei mix puppy developed a dime sized bump on his chest about a week ago. It started out as just a bump, it is now hairless and red I’m assuming due to him irritating it and trying to itch it. I am able to move it freely and it has not grown in size since it lost the fur, it has grown a bit since it appeared. I’m attaching a picture of it from around when it appeared and 2 from today.

4 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Dr. Elizabeth

Veterinarian

Published on February 8th, 2020

I recommend to have Cash examined by the veterinarian. Skin masses can be many things but red raised masses are especially concerning for a skin cancer called a Mast Cell tumor. This mass could also be a benign Histiocytoma. Unfortunately, they look alike. Your veterinarian will need to collect a sample of cell to examine under the microscope to determine what this is and if further treatment is needed. Protect the area from itching with a dog shirt and he shoudl wear an elizabethan collar at all times if he can reach the area. If it is a Histiocytoma, sometimes inject steroid into the lesion can cause it to shrink and stop itching. Have this checked out soon.

4Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Dr. Strydom, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on February 6th, 2018
I suggest you get Xena checked out by your vet. Any older dog that has a new lump that has come up should be examined.

The lump resembles a histiocytoma however, those are most common in young dogs (like under 3 years of age). So, while it is not impossible that it could be a histiocytoma, it is not likely. Some other possibilities of what this could be:

1. Tumor - benign (ie: histocytoma, papilloma, fibroma, etc)
2. Tumor - malignant (ie: cancer like mast cell tumor, squamous cell carcinoma, etc)
3. Cyst - (ie: sebaceous, dermal, etc)
4. Abscess/infection (unlikely)

There is no way to distinguish which of those it is without some testing.

https://www.petco.com/content/content-hub/home/articlePages/health-wellness/Bumps-and-Lumps-in-Dogs-and-Cats.html

Hope this helps. Best wishes.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Jenny, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on July 10th, 2017
Since it is growing, it best to have a vet check her and possibly x ray it to see if it is associated with the bone. From there they can aspirate some cells to see if it scar tissue from an older injury or a tumor of some sort.
2Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Dr. Dayna, DVM, CVA
Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist
Published on January 12th, 2019
Good
Morning. This looks like it may be a pustule from a skin infection called puppy pyoderma. If it is the only one I may wait a few days and see if it goes away on its own. However, if more start to form then he will need to be seen by your veterinarian for possible antibiotics therapy. Best of luck and I hope he improves soon. Thank you for using Pet Coach.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Smart Picks for Smart Questions

Related Questions

Health & Wellness

My dog has a red bump on her chest. Is it serious? What is it?

Hello and thank you for your question. I recommend to have your pup examined by the veterinarian. Skin masses can be many things but red/pink raised masses are especially concerning for a skin cancer called a Mast Cell tumor. This cancer can spread to the internal organs. Your veterinarian will need to collect a sample of cell to examine under the microscope to determine what this is and if further treatment is needed. Have this checked out soon. Fingers crossed this is not a MCT and is something benign instead but you can't tell by looks. I hope this helps.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Health & Wellness

What's this itchy bump on my 4-month-old puppy's chest? Is it normal?

Hi there! I'm sorry to hear about Quavo's troubles. An itchy lump like that could be indicative of either a mild bacterial infection, a contact dermatitis - meaning something irritated him and he keeps licking at it and perpetuating it, or it could even be a ringworm lesion. There are a few tests that can be evaluated to find out. The best thing to do is take Quavo to see his veterinarian. The veterinarian can assess the bump and determine if topical and/or oral medications are required. Based on what I can see from the photo, the area where it is could be consistent with where Quavo was neutered. He may be having a suture reaction. (It doesn't say he is neutered in the description, but just in case he was and you forgot to say). Other lumps puppies can get that are called, histiocytomas. They are benign cancerous lesions that can be very itchy and uncomfortable, but will usually regress on their own. Again, it's best for a veterinarian to take a look and determine what course of action to take. In the meantime, you may want to pick up a cone from the pet store for Quavo to wear to keep him from licking it. That may help as well. The cone should be long enough to go past his nose by a few inches to keep him from being able to reach to lick. I hope you find this answer helpful! Best of luck!

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Health & Wellness

My dog has a white bump on her chest that's growing. Is it serious?

Since it has changed size in such a short time, I recommend getting it checked by your vet. She's very young to be developing growths or tumors but it isn't unheard of at her age. Your vet will do an exam, some lab work, probably using a needle to sample some cells from inside the lump to try to identify the kinds of cells inside and therefore what is causing the lump. Based on these results, your vet will be better able to tell you what is going on and how best to proceed from there, if it is benign or needs further investigation.

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My dog has a red, hairless, growing, discharging bump. What is it?

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Beckham. I recommend that he sees his veterinarian. There is, unfortunately, an aggressive form of skin cancer known as a mast cell tumor. It appears as a red, raised and hairless mass. His veterinarian will collect a sample of cells to evaluate under the microscope. This will tell you the type of mass and how best to treat it. He will likely require surgery. I hope this information helps!

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Training & Behavior

My dog has a red lump on his skin. Why is he biting when I touch it?

Pain and/or changes in behavior are not indications of a cancerous mass (the vast majority of cancerous masses are not painful and do not cause changes in behavior) but it does sound like the mass is bothering (and possibly hurting) Maverick. The only way to know what the mass is and if it is cancerous is to collect a sample of cells to examine under the microscope. Have him examined by the veterinarian within the next 24 hours. if he will wear an elizabethan collar, it will help to protect the mass from further trauma. I hope this helps.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

My dog has a red skin tag-like bump. Is it serious or benign?

That mass could be several things. Red raised hairless masses can be benign growths such as warts, histiocytomas, reactions or infected hair follicles. They can unfortunately also be malignant grows such as Mast Cell Tumor or Plasmacytoma. I would recommend to have it checked out by the vet who may be better able to tell how concerned you should be by palpating the mass and the surrounding lymphnodes. The good news is that the majority of masses are benign but it's always better to be safe. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

My dog has a red, hard bump on his chest. Clean it or see a vet?

I am sorry to hear about Tonka! It is hard to evaluate the bump based on this photo, as it is a little blurry and there is no way for us to know the size of what we are looking at. If the red area is large/very raised, like the size of a nickel or raised more than 1/4 cm then I would be more suspicious that we have a small tumor of the skin (we can have both benign and malignant skin tumors). If the area is smaller and not bothering him, you can try washing with a mild soap and applying a topical antibiotic like neosporin 2-3 times a day. If the lesions isn't resolving by the end of the week or if it is more mass-like as I described earlier, then a vet exam would be recommended.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

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