Are dark bumps on my dog after a matted haircut blocked follicles?

Hello. I would not consider this an emergency and scheduling an appointment with your veterinarian should be fine. These bumps may indicate an infection or they may be some small growths or cysts. Your veterinarian will get a better idea with an exam. They may want to do a fine needle aspirate if they are leaning towards a growth or cyst. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and I hope you get all of the information you need when you see your veterinarian.

This may be a pimple (little abscess), cyst or a tumor. You should have it examined by your veterinarian as tumors should be removed ASAP. An abscess can usually be treated with antibiotics and/or be lanced, and a cyst can be evacuated. Your vet may want to do a fine needle aspirate (he takes some material from the bump with a needle and then looks at it under the microscope) to determine whether the mass is concerning. Since this is obviously bothering your dog (it looks like Bentley is licking it), I would have this examined very soon.

That looks like a mild skin infection of some kind. I would keep an eye on it and get it looked after by your vet if it doesn't improve in a day or two or gets worse. They'll do a physical exam, check the lesions, maybe look at some of the material from the bumps under the microscope to see if they can identify the cause and, based on these results, be better able to recommend a treatment plan.

Increased pigmentation in the skin can be a result of hormonal changes such as those seen with hypothyroidism or chronic inflammation such as with skin allergies or yeast infections. The bump in the picture could be due to inflammation as well or could be a cyst, wart or skin tumor. If the bump is getting larger, does not go away or seems to be bothering Rhonda, I would recommend that you have her seen by your veterinarian. The changes in skin color may resolve with time but if they do not or seem to be getting worst, I would recommend seeing a veterinarian. They may recommend checking thyroid levels to rule out hypothyroidism.

I'm wondering if the 'pimple' in the first picture is potentially part of her spay scar and a suture reaction if she was recently adopted and spayed. You may be able to feel some 'firm' tissue beneath this area if that is the case. It's also possible that this is a small skin mass that has become infected. Dogs can develop milia, but milia are most commonly seen when there is excess cortisol due to a disease like Cushing's. The milia do not typically require treatment but the underlying disease does. Cushing's is common in middle aged to older dogs and other signs include increased thirst, hunger and urination. I think it would be a good idea to have a veterinarian examine her skin to make sure treatment for an infection isn't necessary, and to discuss testing for Cushing's disease if she is showing any other signs.

Hello, and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. This looks likely to be a cyst, which is a benign skin growth that can rupture and exude a thick proteinaceous discharge. I recommend having Roscoe seen by a Vet, as cysts can become infected when they rupture, and Roscoe may need a course of antibiotics. Your vet can then let you know if they have any concerns about the lesion when they’re able to examine it. In the meantime, keep it clean using soapy water (Dawn dish soap works well) and soak/wipe it clean a few times daily. Hope this helps!

This looks like it could be a histiocytoma or a sebaceous cyst but it is very difficult to tell much just by looking at some photos. It is not an emergency but it is best to have your vet check her out.