What's this odd bump on my senior Golden Retriever's head near ear?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This could be a benign or malignant growth. There is no way of knowing what it is just based on its appearance. 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 him evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. I am really hoping for something benign. Good luck and have a good day!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This could be a benign or malignant growth. Based on its appearance, this is most likely a benign sebaceous adenoma. 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 him evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. I am really hoping for something benign. Good luck and have a good one!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is not possible to know for sure what it is without being able to evaluate it under the microscope. This could be a benign or malignant growth. 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 his evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. I am really hoping for something benign. Good luck and have a good night!

Thank you for providing pictures of Ela's bump. There are a couple of things this could be; for example, it could be from trauma if she's scratching her ear a lot. That could be a sign of an ear infection. This bump could also be a benign tumor or a malignant tumor. In a senior dog, unfortunately there is always a chance any bump could be malignant. Given that it's been growing, I would have her seen by a vet for it. The vet can diagnose what is causing the bump and how best to treat it. Good luck, I hope this helps!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This could be a benign or malignant growth. 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 him 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 thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear about Biff. Skin growths/masses typically fall into a few categories. Raised growths can be tumors (benign or malignant), granulomas (a collection of inflammatory cells), and some assorted epidermal growths. If this lesion persists, enlarges, changes in any way other than shrinking, I would have your veterinarian evaluate Biff. They can get a history and do an examination of the area in question. They may advise some diagnostics (fine needle aspirate, biopsy) to determine what it is or may just advise removing it (excising it) and submitting the growth to a pathologist so they can determine what it is. Some skin growths shrink and resolve over time so if it persists, enlarges, starts to bleed, looks different, again I would have your vet check it out right away. From a clinical standpoint, it looks like a benign growth but I have learned over the years that you never know until you do some diagnostics. Good luck with Biff and I hope this resolves without incidence.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I do recommend that all new bumps or lumps be evaluated by a veterinarian to determine if they are benign (non-cancerous) or not. There are multiple non-concerning growths of the skin (such as adenomas or warts) that do not need to be addressed, but there are certain types of skin cancer (such as mast cell tumors) that would need to be removed in order to be cured. I would recommend having Ebony evaluated by her regular veterinarian to determine if these bumps are concerning or not, and if any treatment is needed. Good luck!