My dog's lip has a growing bubble. Should I drain it or see a vet?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This lump you describe could potentially be something like an abscess for example. However, other things are possible. If there is really an abscess, this should not be treated at home. I recommend that you have him evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. If an abscess was noted, further local therapy with drainage and antibiotics would be recommended. Good luck and best wishes!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! If there are no other signs of infection or discomfort such as scratching or biting at it, you may just drain it with your fingers and then clean the area with soapy water. If if fills up again, or she develops others, have her evaluated by your veterinarian for more thorough treatment most likely including systemic antibiotics. She is precious by the way! Have a good night!

I am so sorry Spanky is having this issue. I would recommend bringing Spanky to a veterinarian. The reason for this is to not only clean up the lesion, but to also dispense medication and see if we can figure out the cause of this. This could be from allergies or from a cut or scratch that Spanky kept bothering with and it just got infected. I hope Spanky feels better soon and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Lee! Based on your photo is appears to be either a pyoderma (skin infection) or a hot spot (superficial skin infection). Because it is getting worse quickly, make an appointment tomorrow to get your Vet to look at ti. They will likely prescribe antibiotics, something for the itch, and maybe a topical. Good luck!

Thank you for contacting Pet Coach with your concern about Finn! Yes, this is definitely something I would have him seen by a vet. It's concerning that this lump has doubled in size in a week, and it's obviously bothering him because he keeps licking at it. It could be this lump is a cyst, a benign tumor, or a malignant tumor. This area also could have formed from irritation of him licking at it, leading to this raised and irritated area. Give your vet a call today to make an appointment, and I would put an Ecollar on him to keep him from licking at it further. You can make one at home (I will put a link below on how to do it), or you can buy one at a pet store. Best of luck, I hope this helps! http://dogsaholic.com/care/homemade-dog-cone.html

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This could be a benign or malignant growth. There is no way of knowing what it is just based on its appearance. This is often differentiated by a test called a fine needle aspirate (FNA) which is a pain free, inexpensive and easy procedure which in most cases will help reach a diagnosis. Sometimes a biopsy is needed for a definitive diagnosis. I recommend that you have her evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. I am really hoping for something benign. Good luck and have a good day!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I can’t say for sure without looking at (and touching) it, but I think this looks less like ringworm at this time and and more like a sebaceous cyst. These are generally benign and often rupture on their own- you can try a gentle squeeze to see if anything comes out. Since it has gotten much bigger rapidly, it could also be something more scary like a cancer. Even though this is much less likely than a cyst, it’s still worth going into the vet. Your vet may recommend a cytology (poking the mass with a slim needle and looking at the cells under the microscope) to determine if it needs to be removed or just monitored. If it is a cyst, it is often drained during this process. I hope this helps and best of luck to you and Ne-yo!