My young dog has an ear lump. Vet drops aren't helping. What is it?

I suspect this is a histiocytoma, in which case, it should resolve on it's own within a few months. Don't put anything on it, just leave it alone. If it does not go away in a couple months then have your vet check it. ( https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4952066 )

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!

If this just showed up, I would recommend having a veterinarian take a look at this. It may be a type of tumor that needs to be removed called a mast cell tumor. I would err on the side of caution and have the veterinarian look at this and perform some additional testing on it. 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 and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear about Bertie. Lumps generally fall into a few broad categories including growths/tumors which can be benign (not cancer) or malignant (cancer), granulomas which are a collection of inflammatory cells, abscess/infection, among others. In young dogs, a common benign tumor called a histiocytoma can develop. These are raised growths, often pink and somewhat flat like a button. These growths oftentimes resolve on their own without treatment. I would advise that your veterinarian take a look at Bertie. They can get a detailed history and do a complete physical exam focusing on the area of the growth, They may advise diagnostics such as a fine needle aspirate or a biopsy of the growth to determine what it is. If they suspect a histiocytoma they may just advise monitoring the area but to also be on the lookout for any scratching of the ear/growth. Once a diagnosis is obtained or suspected, a sound treatment plan can be discussed. The ear is a tricky area for growths and their removal because of the lack of skin to close over the incision if they are removed. Thus, a growth in this area warrants a quick analysis by your vet. Good luck with Bertie.

In the picture, it looks like a mass to me, so I would recommend going to Rey's vet to have it sampled (quick, easy, no sedation required) and the cells looked at under a microscope to see if it's something concerning. Young dogs can get a benign mass called a histiocytoma that goes away on it's own eventually, which would be my first guess. Your vet might say it's a wart when they see it in person, in which case no sampling is needed, but keeping Rey away from other dogs until it's been gone for 2 weeks is a good idea because the virus that causing warts is very contagious. So, you don't need to be highly concerned, but should have it looked at.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It looks like a benign growth called a histiocytoma. These usually go away on their own after 3-4 months. I would recommend having a vet look at it and confirm. If it is, leave the swelling alone. It doesn’t need to be cleaned or have medication applied to heal it. Good luck and kisses to Boy Boy!

It is difficult to tell from the picture, but it looks like what you are seeing is a mass. We will commonly see benign masses in young dogs called a histiocytoma which can be itchy. Unfortunately, there isn't any way to determine what a mass it just by looking at it. Your vet can do a simple test called a fine needle aspirate to remove some cells with a needle and look at them under a microscope to determine what the mass is. If it is a histiocytoma, it will go away on its own, but Damon may need some medication to keep it from being itchy. I have attached more information on histiocytomas below. https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=1676 Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.