Should I worry about a squishy white lump on my senior dog's ear?

This lump in Nico's ear could be a cyst, but it could also be a benign tumor or a malignant tumor. Unfortunately in a senior dog, there is always a chance a lump could be a malignant tumor. I would have Nico seen by a vet for this lump first thing Monday. 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. Once the cause of the lump is diagnosed, the vet can discuss treatment options.

It looks a bit like a cutaneous horn. The only way to know for certain is to have it examined by a vet. A cutaneous horn is rarely cancerous, but it can be irritating and it will continue to grow. Removal is commonly recommended for these.

It would be best to have it looked at as soon as you can him examined. It may just be a cyst but it could also be an abscess or a tumor. I'm glad it is not bothering him but that doesn't necessarily mean it's not something worse than just a cyst.

Thank you for your question. I would suspect this isn't anything to be concerned about, however, because it is on an ear and likely to become a problem if it grows, I would have your veterinarian take a look. It isn't only the appearance of a nodule that we worry about, but how it feels, and if it is moveable, or attached to the structures below the skin. Those are things that I cannot tell from a photo. This looks like a small little growth that we would probably monitor over time, but it is an odd location, and it is better to be safe and have it checked out. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

This is likely just a cyst or possibly a localized infection. Since it isn't changing and your dog doesn't seem to be too worried about it, I wouldn't be too concerned. I would just wait for your vet to call you. If you haven't heard from them in a few days, I would call them to double check on the results. I hope this helps!

That does look to be a mass. A mass is a collection of cells and can be benign (inflammation, cyst, some tumors) or a malignant tumor. Given the age of your dog this may be a histiocytoma, but as many skin tumors can look alike the best plan to confirm this is for your vet to perform a needle aspirate for cytology. That way you will know for sure if this can be monitored or if it needs any therapy. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It looks like a warty growth called an adenoma. These are normal growths in older pets and are not worrisome. You may find more on Minty as he ages. The skin is fragile so if he scratches them they may bleed, but again, nothing to worry about. Kisses to Minty!