My senior dog has a growing, painless head bump. Should I worry?

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 her evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. I am really hoping for something benign. Good luck and have a good night!

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!

I am sorry that Aspen has developed a bump or lump on her skin. Thank you for providing pictures. From the pictures you have sent the "bump" appears to be a skin growth. There are several types off masses that can grow in the skin of dogs such as cysts, lipomas, and even cancers. Some are benign and some are malignant, so careful observation is important, as well as having a vet examine it if you are concerned. Since you only noticed the lump recently, I would continue to monitor it for growth, ulceration, changes in texture or color. Measure the mass with a ruler so you can compare its growth in a couple weeks time. Rapidly growing masses are more concerning. You can also try applying a cool compress and cleaning with warm salt water once daily if it needs it. If you notice any changes or rapid growth either take Aspen in for a vet appointment or post another question here on the forum. I hope that this answer was helpful and more importantly that Aspen feels better soon. Warmest regards to you both.

That bump could be a skin mass, a wart, a skin tag or an infected hair follicle. Most skin masses are benign but there is always a chance its malignant. The best way to know would be to take Charlie into the vet to have the mass aspirated. This will tell you what it is. Otherwise you can monitor it closely at home. If it changes in size, then take him in to get it checked out. I hope this helps!

That does look to be a mass. A mass is a collection of cells and can be benign (inflammation, cyst, some tumors) or a malignant tumor. Given the age of your dog this may be a histiocytoma, but as many skin tumors can look alike the best plan to confirm this is for your vet to perform a needle aspirate for cytology. That way you will know for sure if this can be monitored or if it needs any therapy. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

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.

It looks a bit like a cutaneous horn. The only way to know for certain is to have it examined by a vet. A cutaneous horn is rarely cancerous, but it can be irritating and it will continue to grow. Removal is commonly recommended for these.