My Boxer has a bleeding leg sore that's growing. Should I worry?

I am so sorry to hear that Boxer has this concerning mass. Because you have noticed the mass over a period of a few months and because it is bleeding repeatedly I would have it seen by a veterinarian. There are many possible causes for masses in a dogs skin including foreign bodies, bacterial infections, cysts, and several types of benign and well as malignant tumours. In the meantime, place an e-collar, or cone, on Boxer to prevent him from biting or scraping the mass. This will hopefully stop him from bursting it again, as well as stop him from possibly infecting the area. Measure the mass with a ruler so you can compare its growth in a couple weeks time. Rapidly growing masses are more concerning. I hope that this answer was helpful and more importantly that Boxer feels better soon. Warmest regards to you both.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! My dog gets these. He has had them on his legs and they would bleed occasionally especially during a bath. They tend to be benign growths. I don;t like your description of the one on the face that increases and decreases in size though. That sounds like the behavior of a mast cell, which boxers tend to get. If it looks like the one in the picture it could increase and decrease in size based on the blood inside the mass. The only way to fix them is to remove them, which is what I did for my dog. Sadly they will develop more over time. I would take Kate to your Vet and have them examine the areas and discuss removal. I wish you and Kate the best!

This could be from an injured, a benign growth, or a malignant growth. Without seeing Kes in person, I can't say for certain. I think it should be checked out by a vet, and depending on what the cause is, the vet will discuss treatment options.

Its still possible that the mass is benign but with the change in size and now the irritation, I would recommend to have it checked out. The doctor may recommend to aspirate it or may just want to remove it. Make sure to keep it clean and make sure that Jake is not able to scratch at it. I hope this helps!

It may be from a reaction from a bug bite or a scratch that occurred or an infection in the hair or skin. Clean it with mild soap and water and apply neosporin but be careful to not get any in her eyes. Take her to your vet tomorrow for a skin sample to find out the cause

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! A lot if skin bumps can look the same. But for a young dog and the location of it being on a leg it is likely a benign growth called a histiocytoma. They usually spontaneously regress in a few months. The other possibility is a Mast cell tumor, which can be common in Boxers. If the bump grows larger or doesn't go away in 2-3 months I would have your Vet examine it and consider aspirating it to see what it could be. It is never wrong to get it looked at sooner either! I hope this helps!

This kind of lump/growth needs to be ideally assessed by your veterinarian to have a definitive and specific answer. Usually there are two ways your vet can do that a part from examining it directly during physical examination. A biopsy can be taken under local or general anesthetic, otherwise a smaller sample through a fine needle can be aspirated (this technique is called FNA= fine needle aspiration). Differentials include skin cysts, infections, benign or more sinister type of tumors. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.