Why is my senior dog's sore black, foul-smelling, and losing hair?

Sores on the toes are not common in old dogs, and Lady could have an infection causing the sores. What is concerning is the mass, as in older dogs that can unfortunately be malignant. It could also be a cyst, abscess, or a benign tumor. Any suspicious masses 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 mass to get a sample of it's cells, and examines the cells on a slide under a microscope. It's usually painless to the animal, and relatively quick to perform. I would have Lady seen by a vet tomorrow to have this mass examined and diagnosed, as well as the sores, so she can be treated.

I'd have to say that I'm concerned about that focal mass area that is pigmented black, but the rest of this lesion does not look like any type of skin cancer I have seen. If the vet is concerned that this is cancer, typically we debulk (remove as much as possible) or completely remove what we can before attempting chemotherapy. Chemotherapy is also best guided when we know exactly the type of tumor we are dealing with, as there are several types of cancers that can affect the skin of dogs. My advice would be to get a biopsy performed of this lesion and get an exact diagnosis before proceeding with treatment.

It sounds like this is some kind of skin growth. Dogs can develop melanomas of the skin along with many other benign growths. I would recommend having your vet take a look - they might recommend taking a sample with a small needle to determine what this might be, or they might recommend going ahead and removing it.

It's hard to tell for sure from those pictures but that may just be a pigment change on Tara's skin. Pigment changes can occur normally as a dog ages. To be safe, I'd recommend taking Tara to see a veterinarian for assessment of the area. If necessary a small needle sample can be taken of the area to ensure it's not a concern. At minimum I'd suggest monitoring the area for changes and definitely take Tara to the vet if is changes in size, shape, color or if it bleeds or has any kind of discharge. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

If the rash and skin problems is spreading and getting worse, then it is worth see a vet. She may need a skin biopsy or sample to find out the cause. Skin tags are common in older dogs but rash that is changing is not. They may need to do blood work to see if there is an endocrine problem such as a low thyroid or cushings disease.

I, too, hope they are just moles, but it is just like a spot that pops up on a human - it is ALWAYS best to have them checked out by a doctor. Your vet can examine these new lumps, and may collect a small sample of cells to be examined under a microscope for diagnosis. If there are any signs that the cells may be cancerous, then your vet will likely recommend that they be removed and sent in for official diagnosis.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! A mass on the skin is never "normal," but it is not uncommon to see skin masses appear as patient's age. It is virtually impossible to be able to distinguish a benign versus a malignant (cancerous) growth based on appearance alone, which is why we typically rely on biopsies or fine needle aspirates for diagnosis. Fine needle aspirates are less invasive and do not require sedation/anesthesia, but only give us a small picture of the mass since we are only able to sample the cells present within the needle used. Removal of a mass with submission for histopathology (biopsy) is always preferred and recommended for masses that change in size or shape. If the mass on Bradley's leg is changing, continually infected, or is irritating/painful for him, it would be best to have the mass removed and submitted for histopathology. Even if the mass is benign, it is serving as a source of irritation/infection for him, and could potentially become malignant in the future.