My senior dog has a growing skin mass on his face. Is it serious?

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!

This is likely a mass. Have it evaluated by your vet and tested to determine if this is something to be concerned about or not. Most of the time samples can be taken of any mass without any sedation needed. Typically non-firm masses are benign (non-cancerous); however it’s always best to have any mass that continues to grow, evaluated by your vet. I hope everything turns out ok for your pet Charlie. Best wishes and take care.

Anytime a new mass is noticed, I always recommend having it evaluated to see what it is and if anything needs to be done about it. Unfortunately, we often can't tell anything about a mass by just looking at it. Your vet can perform a simple test called a fine needle aspirate where they use a small needle to collect some cells from the mass, then look at them under the microscope. They may even need to send the cells to the lab for a pathologist to examine them, so we know what the mass is. If it is benign, you might not need to do anything about the mass at all, but if they see cells that worry them, they might recommend removing the mass. Since Qbert has scratched the mass, I think it is certainly worth having your veterinarian examine it again and evaluate a sample to make sure that it is benign. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Diamond. The skin mass on the leg in the picture you submitted appears to be a wart like growth. These are common in older dogs and more tend to appear over time. If this is the growth you are referring to, then they are typically not anything to worry about. The only time I consider surgically removing such a mass is if it bleeds or becomes infected. I hope this information helps!

Poor guy. This looks like a mass unfortunately. I would recommend having your vet test this mass to see if it is something to be concerned about or not. We need to get cells from this area and then send them to the lab to know for sure. But it is highly recommended to test due to the bright red color of this mass. I hope that this is just a benign histiocytoma which usually resolves on its own within a few months and nothing to be concerned about. Best of luck moving forward with your pet Charlie. Take care.

This is likely just a benign little wart. I would monitor it for growth. If it grows in size or changes in appearance within the next two weeks, take Rocco in for an exam. Of course there is no way to determine from a photo whether this is a benign lump or not, however, old dogs often get warts, and if it does not grow in size or change in color or appearance it is likely not malignant.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Charlie. I recomend she sees her veterinarian. The lesion could be an infection or a a mass that has developed. Depending on her exam findings, the veterinarian may perform a procedure known as a fine needle aspirate. A small needle is used to collect a sample of cells and evaluate them under the microscope to diagnose the lesion. This will help to guide treatment. In the meantime, you can try bathing her with a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner such as an oatmeal or fatty acid based formula. I hope this information helps!