My senior dog has a dry abscess for 6 months. Does it need surgery?

Yes. Abscesses are infection and require treatment. Abscesses can become chronic or even turn into something like septicemia. It’s best to get them taken care of quickly. Make an appointment with his veterinarian. You also need to prevent licking and he should wear an Elizabethan collar at all times. I hope it heals quickly and please feel free to post any additional questions.

It looks like a tumor that has abscessed. It don't think it is just a cyst but, it could be. This is something that is difficult to diagnose just based on some photos. You really should have your vet check this out.

Hi there. Lipomas do not typically have hair loss or redness associated with them, so based on its appearance here, I would be concerned that it may be some other type of tumor. If it is becoming necrotic and leaking fluid, it's likely that surgical removal is indicated regardless of what the specific tumor type is. I would recommend having this mass evaluated by a veterinarian in person to discuss next steps, but my guess is that it likely needs to be removed.

At the age of 13 surgery in this location may actually not prolong your dog's life, but actually cause him more suffering, as, in order to remove this fairly large tumor, parts of the tongue and neck tissue may need to be removed. This will take a while to heal, be painful and will interfere with eating. I think you can trust your vet with the assessment. If you would like a second opinion, consult with a veterinary oncologist. I am sure your vet can refer you to one and will not mind.

This could be a seroma from an injury, a cyst, abscess or a tumor. Cysts and abscesses need to be drained by a vet. If your vet suspects a tumor, he will do a fine needle aspirate to determine whether it is a harmless lipoma, which does not need to be removed unless it is ulcerating or bothers the dog due to its location or size, or another tumor that needs to be removed. Please make an appointment with your veterinarian for an exam of the mass.

Poor girl. Because this mass is open and seems to be bothering her I would highly consider having this mass removed surgically. Sometimes if the mass is small (less than 2 cm's) we can do a sedative on the pet and quickly remove these. However if it is a larger mass then general anesthesia may be required. She also needs to be placed on oral antibiotics to keep this area from getting infected and daily cleaning of the mass as well. Sterile saline flushes can help keep this area relatively clean and then an e-collar placed on her can help prevent licking. If surgery isn't an option for you, then medical management with antibiotics, e-collar and regular cleanings may allow proper healing of the area, but in most cases surgical removal is the best option. Best of luck!

Poor pup! No, I don't think that this looks likely to fall off on its own. In fact, since it has doubled in size and is also open and oozing now, I would consider it even more important to have it surgically removed. It would also be best to have this mass sent off for histopathology to find out if it is cancerous or not, especially given its recent rapid growth.