My senior Miniature Schnauzer has skin bumps. When should I worry?

As long as he is behaving normally otherwise, you can monitor the lumps at home. Older dogs are more prone to these growths. Unfortunately, it is difficult to determine which ones you should worry about without a physical exam and diagnostics. Monitor them for rapid change or growth, discharge, pain associated with a mass or a mass that restricts motion. If necessary, your veterinarian can perform a fine needle aspirate in the clinic to collect samples for pathology. This could identify which lumps are of concern. Discuss treatment options after results are returned.

I, too, hope they are just moles, but it is just like a spot that pops up on a human - it is ALWAYS best to have them checked out by a doctor. Your vet can examine these new lumps, and may collect a small sample of cells to be examined under a microscope for diagnosis. If there are any signs that the cells may be cancerous, then your vet will likely recommend that they be removed and sent in for official diagnosis.

Hello. These are probably benign, but since they are pigmented, I would recommend checking them out. A biopsy of one of them should confirm what the rest are & if a treatment plan is indicated, your veterinarian will know exactly what to do, even if it is just a watch & wait on the bumps. Please see your veterinarian at your earliest convenience. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

It is hard to tell without seeing it in person, but pimple like bumps often indicate an infection like a pyoderma. Sometimes medicated shampoo can be enough to get rid of the bumps, but other times they need oral antibiotics. I would recommend making sure he is on a good flea prevention and speaking with your vet about the possibility of a skin infection. I hope this helps!

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.

I am afraid it is not possible to properly identify this growth from a photo. This could be a wart, a cutaneous horn (both benign), or a tumor or just a tissue reaction. In order to identify such a growth we need to palpate it, determine whether it is solely in the skin or attached under the skin, movable against certain tissues, has a discharge, compare the visible size with the size in or under the skin, take a fine needle biopsy, etc. and give the dog a general exam. If this growth appeared suddenly or appears to be growing, I suggest you take Oskar to your vet to have it examined. Old dogs often get tumors, most of the time they are benign warts, but sometimes they can be bad cancer.

Hi there! The thing that comes to mind when you describe Bear's skin condition are sebaceous cysts-a common but unbothersome condition many of our pets face. They may spontaneously resolve or "pop" and dry up, but usually more will form. Small mast cell tumors, plasmacytomas, etc can also present similarly but are less common. I hope this helps! As always, if they begin to bother your buddy, take him in to see your regular veterinarian and they can sample the nodules to find out exactly what they are. Best to you and Bear!