My senior pug has a bump on her paw. Should I be worried or see a vet?

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is definitely concerning that the lump has increased in size so quickly, as older dogs are typically more likely to develop cancers. The lump can also be an infection or cyst. I recommend having this seen by a vet as soon as possible - they can take a small sample from the growth to determine exactly what it is and recommend the appropriate treatment. I hope all is well!

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. Common tumors in this region include melanomas, squamous cell carcinomas, mast cell tumors and soft tissue sarcomas, among others. 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 him evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. I am really hoping for something benign. Good luck and have a good night!

I would recommend taking Franklin to the vet to have this bump checked out. It could be a benign mass, a histiocytoma, that will self resolve but if it is something more serious, like a mast cell tumor, it should be removed as quickly as possible. You veterinarain can do a cytology of the mass and determine the cell type/origin and this will help determine what next steps need to be taken. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

Hello, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I'm sorry Mia is having this issue. If this was a simple injury surely it would have healed by now. The fact that it has been going for a year and is growing, I would recommend you have it surgically removed and sent off to a lab for histopathology. Due to the location of this mass, if it gets much larger it will be harder to remove as there is not a lot of extra skin to close a large incision in that area. This is just my opinion. What the mass actually is though, I cannot say just by looking at a photo. It may be benign but it could also be malignant. The histopathology will tell which it is. It could also be that she has a foreign body (maybe a splinter or something) under the skin that is festering so this may not be a mass at all. It is really difficult for me to say just by looking at the photo. It is a possibility however, I would have expected it to cause more of an infection by now if that was the case. Still a possibility though. You are always welcome to get a second opinion by another vet that can examine her in person. Remember, you know Mia best and need to be her advocate. If you are uncomfortable or have a bad feeling about something then voice those concerns. In my opinion it is always better to be safe than sorry. If you are worried then removing the mass is the best option. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern! From the pictures you have provided, this appears to be what we call a sebaceous adenoma. This is a benign skin mass that we typically start to see develop in middle aged to older dogs. They do not cause any harm but can become sore and open from time to time. If these masses become infected or are painful I then recommend having them removed, otherwise, monitoring them is absolutely fine to do. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further!

Hi there! That’s a really helpful picture, thank you for including it. I am definitely concerned about the possibility of that growth being cancerous. However, whether is is benign or malignant, the location is troublesome. Removal of a mass of that size on that area of the foot can be very difficult. There is not much room/ skin to work with, and obtaining good clean tumor free margins of tumor removal is challenging. I would highly encourage you to have SweatPea examined by your veterinarian soon, as the larger it gets the less likely surgery can be done. Best of luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Pika. From the picture, and given her age, I would suspect this is a benign tumor or possibly a cyst. 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. I'd give her vet a call in the morning to make her an appointment. I hope this helps!