My senior dog has skin lumps. Are they common? Do they need removal?

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! A mass on the skin is never "normal," but it is not uncommon to see skin masses appear as patient's age. It is virtually impossible to be able to distinguish a benign versus a malignant (cancerous) growth based on appearance alone, which is why we typically rely on biopsies or fine needle aspirates for diagnosis. Fine needle aspirates are less invasive and do not require sedation/anesthesia, but only give us a small picture of the mass since we are only able to sample the cells present within the needle used. Removal of a mass with submission for histopathology (biopsy) is always preferred and recommended for masses that change in size or shape. If the mass on Bradley's leg is changing, continually infected, or is irritating/painful for him, it would be best to have the mass removed and submitted for histopathology. Even if the mass is benign, it is serving as a source of irritation/infection for him, and could potentially become malignant in the future.

Hello my name is Dr. Elyse Macartney, and I would like to help answer you questions regarding Brandi's skin lump today. First of all thank you for sending the picture of the lump. From the picture you have sent the lump appears to be a skin growth. There are several types off lumps or masses that can grow in the skin of dogs such as sebaceous cysts, warts, abscesses, lipomas, and several types of cancers. Some of these cancers are benign and some are malignant, so careful observation is important, as well as having a vet examine it if you are concerned. My first step of advice for you would be to use a ruler to measure the lump today. Then repeat that measurement every few weeks. Continue to monitor the lump for growth, ulceration, pain, bleeding, swelling, and changes in texture or color. Rapidly growing and changing masses are more concerning, and may be a sign of malignancy. Because this is a new mass and because you have already observed growth, I would suggest taking Brandi in to have the mass examined by her veterinarian. The veterinarian will most likely want to take a sample of the cells within the mass using a FNA (fine needle aspirate). Using cytological examination of those cells, the type of mass can be identified and a treatment plan created. I hope this information was helpful, and I have included the link to further articles below. https://www.petcoach.co/article/lumps-on-dogs-when-you-should-be-concerned/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/can-pets-get-skin-cancer/

I am assuming that your vet did a needle aspirate and wasn't able to get a diagnosis. The only way to know the cause of the lumps would be to remove them and submit to a lab for biopsy. As long as he is otherwise healthy then the risk of anesthesia is low. If he needs a dental cleaning then your vet could do both at the same time. If you don't want to have them removed then you could monitor for a month or so and see how the lumps change. If they are growing then they really should be removed.

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!

This growths on Teddy could be benign, but in a senior dog, there is always a chance that they would be malignant. 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 it's cells, and examines the cells on a slide under a microscope. It's usually painless to the animal, and relatively quick to perform. I'd give your vet a call to make an appointment to have these growths examined and diagnosed so they can be treated if needed. Best of luck, I hope this helps.

It could be that Lady has a cyst causing this lump. In a senior dog, it could also be a malignant tumor or a benign tumor. Without seeing her in person, I can't say for certain. If your vet sent her to a surgeon, then I would suspect that your vet believes it needs to be removed. I'm sorry you felt this surgeon was only worried about money, so I'd suggest speaking to your vet about a referral to another surgeon to get this lump diagnosed and possibly removed. It sounds like it's quite large if it's grapefruit size, and if it continues to grow, it could affect her ability to walk. In addition, if it is malignant, it needs to be removed as soon as possible. Best of luck, I hope this helps!

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. From the pictures that you have provided the skin masses that you have noticed look very similar to a benign skin tumor known as a sebaceous adenoma. I call these old dog warts when using layman's terms. These are typically benign tumors of the skin which occur with older aged animals. If you are at all concerned about these then I would suggest having your veterinarian examine them and make a determination on what exactly they are. Otherwise, I would continue to monitor them for changes such as an increase in size then I would suggest having your veterinarian examine them and make a determination on what exactly they are. Otherwise, I would continue to monitor them for changes such as an increase in size or if they begin to discharge. I hope this helps! Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any further questions or concerns. I am also available via phone or text based consultation if needed.