My senior dog has a dark lump that shrinks with ice. Is it serious?

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.

This lump on Sam could be benign or malignant. In an older dog, there is always a chance any lump could be malignant. 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 tomorrow to make him an appointment. I hope this helps!

Thank you for your question, and including a picture-this is very helpful. This little lump is likely something benign like a skin tag or similar, but I always recommend that if an owner notices changes in color, size or shape of a lump, especially if it is growing quickly, that it be evaluated by your veterinarian. If you are very concerned it would not be wrong to request that the lump be removed, then it can be submitted for review by a pathologist to let you know exactly what it is. You could always arrange to have Mieya's teeth cleaned at the same time, small breed dogs are prone to dental disease and this is a good age to start preventative dental care!

It could be malignant, but I cannot diagnose it from a picture. 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 Cookie's vet a call to make him an appointment. I hope this helps!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This does not mean that he is getting cancer necessarily. It could be a change in pigmentation. The lump may be a benign or malignant growth. This could even be an infection. This cannot be completely assessed just by looking at pictures or a description and usually requires sampling such as fine needle aspiration to determine its origin. 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!

This growth could be benign or malignant. 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 Momo's vet a call in the morning to make her an appointment.

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!