My senior Boxer has new growths, one bleeds. Should I worry?

Hello and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I agree this sounds concerning and I recommend to have Kobe examined by the veterinarian. With the history of a recurrent mass/injury, I'm concerned there is an underlying reason. There are a few reasons and one can be quite serious: a skin cancer called a Mast Cell Tumor. Testing for this skin cancer is generally easy thankfully. Kobe shouldn't need sedation or stitches as long as he will stay still for a quick needle poke. In the mean time, you'll want to protect the lesion from infection. 1. Stop any licking (since this can make it worse) - Kobe should wear an elizabethan collar at all times. - Remember that the collar must come out past his nose in order to be effective. 2. Next, wash the area once a day with either plain hand soap (like Dial) or a medicated pet shampoo. Rinse the area well and gently towel dry. -This will help to control the number of topical pathogens as well as remove oil and dead skin cells. 3. Lastly, apply a topical antibiotic twice a day to the red areas. Make sure the skin is dry before application. -Just a dab will do and rub it in well. Neosporin is fine to use. 4. Keep the paw clean and dry *Always wear gloves to handle this lesion and wash your hands afterwards. I hope things get figured out quickly! Sincerely, Dr. Elizabeth

I am so sorry to hear that Boxer has this concerning mass. Because you have noticed the mass over a period of a few months and because it is bleeding repeatedly I would have it seen by a veterinarian. There are many possible causes for masses in a dogs skin including foreign bodies, bacterial infections, cysts, and several types of benign and well as malignant tumours. In the meantime, place an e-collar, or cone, on Boxer to prevent him from biting or scraping the mass. This will hopefully stop him from bursting it again, as well as stop him from possibly infecting the area. Measure the mass with a ruler so you can compare its growth in a couple weeks time. Rapidly growing masses are more concerning. I hope that this answer was helpful and more importantly that Boxer feels better soon. Warmest regards to you both.

This kind of lump/growth needs to be ideally assessed by your veterinarian to have a definitive and specific answer. Usually there are two ways your vet can do that a part from examining it directly during physical examination. A biopsy can be taken under local or general anesthetic, otherwise a smaller sample through a fine needle can be aspirated (this technique is called FNA= fine needle aspiration). Differentials include skin cysts, infections, benign or more sinister type of tumors. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

Hi, thanks for using PetCoach! Poor Moco! Due to his age, the appearance and the location it looks like a histiocytoma. Which is a benign mass in young dogs. They tend to resolve on their own in a few months but sometimes if they ulcerate, grow rapidly, become infected or bleed we recommend removing them. Another possibility is a mast cell tumor. I would suggest having it looked at my your vet. Good luck! https://www.petcoach.co/article/histiocytoma-in-dogs/

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! A lot if skin bumps can look the same. But for a young dog and the location of it being on a leg it is likely a benign growth called a histiocytoma. They usually spontaneously regress in a few months. The other possibility is a Mast cell tumor, which can be common in Boxers. If the bump grows larger or doesn't go away in 2-3 months I would have your Vet examine it and consider aspirating it to see what it could be. It is never wrong to get it looked at sooner either! I hope this helps!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Thanks for the pictures! Many skin masses can look the same. Red dermal masses, like this one, can be benign or malignant. Some possibilities are an inflamed sebaceous adenoma, hemangioma, histiocytoma or it could be a Mast Cell Tumor. Since it showed up quickly I would have Oscar seen by your Vet. They can decide if aspirating it (sticking it with a needle and sending the slides to the lab) or removing the mass and sending it for biopsy is best. I hope this helps and I wish you and Oscar the best!

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I recommend a vet visit when you can. This appears to be a mass or growth of some sort. The vet may recommend doing a needle aspirate to collect some cells to look at under the microscope to determine what it is.