My dog has a growing bump with hair stuck for months. What is it?

Without further testing, there is no way to tell if this growth is a malignant (cancerous) type that can spread elsewhere and/ or invade the healthy tissue around them, or a more benign (noncancerous) type that is unlikely to spread. In some cases abscesses can form due to infection, or bumps can form due to trauma/pressure on the area or due to allergies, but in this case the picture appears to be a raised mass of some sort. I recommend making an appointment to see your vet to have the growth tested. In many cases this can be done using a fine needle aspirate, where cells are removed from the growth using a needle and examined under a microscope to determine what it is and to guide treatment. In some cases further testing may be needed to determine the necessary course of treatment, but it is important to get new growths tested in a timely manner, as some can be cancerous and quite aggressive in their growth, and growths due to infection, allergy or trauma can lead to complications or be indicators of underlying health problems. In the meantime, if Rudy begins licking the area, make sure he wears a “cone” (also known as an e-collar or Elizabethan collar) at all times when he is not being directly supervised by you, including while sleeping to help prevent infection.

Good Morning, Sorry to see Baby Boo is having problems. This growth looks like it could be a small growth or tumor, especially since it appears raised and ulcerated and is not going away. Normally, your local veterinarian will examine the lesion and perform tests to see if it is in fact cancer, then recommend removal and laboratory tests to confirm what type of growth. In some cases, your veterinarian will simple recommend removal or an excision biopsy to send off for a histopathology report. In all cases, the sooner the growth is examined and removed the better chance of complete removal and complete recovery without it coming back. From my initial view of the picture, it looks like you need to get an appointment and have it check soon, but looks like everything will go great based on the location and age of your dog. Best of luck, and thank you for the question. Steve Popish, DVM.

This looks like a typica skin wart/skin tumor or cyst. Since it has been present for so long and has not grown at all, it is probably benign (non cancerous). It looks as if the area has been irritated somehow, probably by your dog scratching at it, and is now bleeding and may be infected. Or, if it is a cyst, the white material may just be cystic exudate. I would recommend cleaning the area with some dilute hydrogen peroxide then applying some antibiotic ointment to help prevent infection and to help it heal more quickly. Occasionally these need to be removed but only if they are a constant source of irritation or infection for the dog. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck!

I recommend to take Greta to see her veterinarian. While most skin masses are benign, masses that a red/pink, hairless and raised are a concern for a malignant skin tumor called a Mast Cell tumor. It also appears as though this mass is ulcerated regardless and it needs to be removed. Once masses grow to the point of ulceration, they will heal and break open over and over again which can make them prone to infections not to mention oozing/bleeding. Just like with a human, the doctor will likely take a sample of the mass or remove the mass entirely and microscopically exam it. Thats the only way to know what it is accurately. In the mean time, protect the mass from trauma and wash it daily with an antibacterial hand soap (rinse it well). You can apply a small amount of coconut oil and rub it well into the skin. This may help the wound to heal a little faster. I hope this helps to point you in the right direction. Please feel free to post any further questions!

Hello. This looks like a possible infected hair follicle of sebaceous gland infection. It is probably not dangerous, especially since your dog is still quite young. I would gently clean the area with something like Hibiclens ( available at all pharmacies ) & if it seems to be getting worse, bothering your dog, or begins to ooze, please see your vet as soon as possible. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi there. Unfortunately there are many different kinds of skin tumors/growths that dogs and get and it can be hard to tell what they are just by looking at them. I think it looks like a benign papilloma wart but you must understand that there is no way I can tell you that for sure. It could certainly be a life-threatening cancer. There is just no way to tell from a photo. I don't think it is an emergency but when you can get the funds together I suggest you have that checked out by your local vet especially if it continues to change (size, shape, etc). The growth does look irritated like he either scratched it or is biting at it. If that is the case you need to get him an E-collar (cone) to wear so he stops messing with it. If he continues to traumatize it then it may get infected. If he is not messing with it then I suggest you just leave it alone (no treatment) for now and just watch it. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

If he is scratching at it, I would recommend an elizabethan collar until you can get him to a veterinarian. I do recommend a veterinarian because the growth is most likely infected. At his age, it is important to consider health when deciding if you wanted to growth removed. The only way to stop this from ever happening again is removal. I would discuss if this is something that can be done with Eddie. The only way to see if the growth is concerning is also from removal and biopsy. Again, this should be discussed with your vet. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.