My senior dog has a bleeding, fast-growing head lump. What is it?

In a dog Rugz's age, yes there is a chance this could be cancerous. Any suspicious lumps 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 lump to get a sample of its cells, and examines the cells on a slide under a microscope. It's usually painless to the animal, and relatively quick to perform. Once the cause of the lump is diagnosed, the vet can discuss treatment options if needed. Give his vet a call to make him an appointment.

Hello. This is definitely a tumor, but it is impossible to say if it is a relatively harmless benign one, or a dangerous potentially aggressive malignant tumor. My guess is that this is very benign & will cause no great harm to Poochi. It can continue to grow, but may not ever affect her overall life. The best thing to do is to have your veterinarian perform a fine needle aspirate where a few cells are removed from the lump & examined under the microscope. Hopefully, all that will be seen are benign fat cells ( lipoma ), but if highly differentiated cells are seen, this would indicate that removal is advised. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I think you should have this checked. The fact that it was previously known to be benign, does not mean that now it cannot be malignant. If it has gotten bigger, it would be great to sample it again. I recommend you have Lily evaluated by your veterinarian for a test called fine needle aspirate which is an easy, quick and pain-free procedure which in the majority of cases will help reach a diagnosis to identify what the best course of action is based on the findings. In some cases, a biopsy is needed for a diagnosis. If it truly is benign then removal is not necessarily recommended. However, if it is malignant and it has not spread to other locations, then surgical removal is recommended. Good luck! Keeping my fingers crossed that it is something benign.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This could be a benign or malignant growth. Given the fact that it is growing quickly, a malignant tumor is more likely. 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 day!

Many mammary tumours shrink temporarily after antibiotics as they often become infected in the centre, intact bitches can also develop mastitis which responds to antibiotics also. I would be concerned the bloodied discharge could be related to a womb infection and would recommend an ultrasound to rule this out. Bleeding around the eye is a warning flag for lymphoma but can occur secondary to many inflammatory conditions, referral to an ophthalmologist would be worthwhile in order to explore all avenues

Poor Gidget! Without being able to see it in person, it is difficult to say for sure. I would have your vet take a look at it since it is hairless. It is likely just a fatty tumor but I have seen a malignant type of skin tumor called a mast cell tumor look like that. Granted, we do have to keep in mind her age. You may decide just to keep her comfortable and make sure the area doesn't get infected and that isn't a wrong decision either. Your vet will be able to determine whether or not it is malignant and also make sure the part that is bleeding isn't going to get infection. A dog her age would have a hard time getting over an infection if left untreated. I hope this helps!

Without further testing, there is no way to tell if this growth is due to infection, trauma or allergy, or if it is a tumour. Tumours can be of a malignant (cancerous) type that can spread elsewhere and/ or invade the healthy tissue around them, or a more benign (noncancerous) type that is unlikely to spread. I recommend making an appointment to see your vet to have the growth tested. In many cases this can be done using a fine needle aspirate, where cells are removed from the growth using a needle and examined under a microscope to determine what it is and to guide treatment. In some cases further testing may be needed to determine the necessary course of treatment, but it is important to get new growths tested in a timely manner, as some can be cancerous and quite aggressive in their growth, and growths due to infection, allergy or trauma can lead to complications or be indicators of underlying health problems. In the meantime, it is very important that you keep Trey from licking the area to help prevent infection by making sure he wears the “cone” (also known as an e-collar or Elizabethan collar) at all times when he is not being directly supervised by you, including while sleeping. Pain medications meant for humans can be very dangerous (and even deadly) for dogs, so I do not recommend giving any to your pup without consulting with your vet. Your veterinarian can prescribe safe medication to help with the pain as needed. Hope your pup feels better soon!