Why is my senior dog's stomach skin black with a strange growth?

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.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This looks like a focal infection though an examination is needed to know. You can try to use a medicated shampoo containing chlorhexidine twice weekly for 2 weeks. If there is no improvement or in the meantime this appears to be getting worse, have her evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. It may be the picture but I am concerned that there may be also a lump as well. If that is the case, that should be evaluated to know if it is actually a growth. Good luck and have a good night!

That may be just normal pigmentation changes. If the skin feels, or looks rougher than normal, if there are scabs or if she itches those areas then I would be more concerned. I hope this was helpful!

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.

This looks like it could be an adenoma, or benign growth originating from the glands in the skin. Sometimes adenomas can produce oils that collect at the surface and can be dark brown or black. There are many other skin masses that could look similar, and some might be more serious so I would recommend having your veterinarian take a look in person.

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!

Any lumps/bumps/sores that you notice on your dog should be checked out by your vet. They are usually one of three things: * abscess (infection) * cyst * cancer There is no way I can tell you what it is via the internet especially without examining her myself. At her age I would be very worried about a tumor.