My dog has a small, movable lump on her face near her eye. What is it?

Good morning. If it is towards the back of the jaw it could be an enlarged lymph node or salivary gland. Other possible causes are an abscess or tumor. In young dogs we see a lot of abscesses in that area because they are chewing on sticks or other things and they can puncture the oral tissue and cause an abscess under the jaw. I would highly encourage you to have him evaluated by your veterinarian soon. A needle aspirate may be done to help determine the diagnosis and treatment plan. Best of luck and I hope he improves soon. Thank you for using Pet Coach.

Hi there. There are many possibilities with a swelling like that. However, in that specific location I would be highly suspicious of a tooth root abscess. If you lift the lip and look at the tooth, often you can see abnormalities. Also if you apply gentle pressure to the lump you may see pus drain out over the tooth. Of course abscesses from other causes as well at tumor can not be ruled out at this time. Please have Gingi seen by a veterinarian as soon as possible. Best of luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! These could be benign or malignant growths. There is no way of knowing for sure without an examination though this represents a reason to seek veterinary care. This is usually determined with an examination and a fine needle aspirate (FNA) or a biopsy. Treatment depends on the findings up to that point. I recommend you have your pup evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Good luck and have a good day!

Without a picture or examining Laila it's difficult to say what is going on for sure. Dogs can get small tumors on their eyelids called meibomian gland tumors and normally these are benign. However, I'm a little concerned that it has gotten larger overnight. It could also be an area of infection or a more serious tumor type. If you can post a picture of Laila it may be helpful to give you further advice. If not, it would be best to err on the side of caution and have Laila examined by your veterinarian. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. What you are describing is most likely a 'lipoma' which is a fatty mass that usually causes no problems. 2 years old however is very young for this to happen, so I would recommend getting it checked out. Other possible causes: infection (abscess), lymph node, sialocele, tumors that are cancerous (mast cell tumors), tumors that are not cancerous (histocytoma), foreign object stuck inside, but bite with inflamed tissue, etc. I recommend having it checked by your vet, they will likely take a sample with a needle to see if they can determine what it is, and might have to take a biopsy based on the initial exam and 'FNA' (fine needle aspirate) findings. Best of luck with Obie!

Dogs and people have lymph nodes under the skin in the neck area. They are firm, oval usually and do move a little when they are touched. If your dog had a flea bite reaction or skin irritation/infection from scratching the lymph nodes may be a little bigger than normal and easier to feel. From your description this is nothing I’m overly concerned about. I would check the bump every few days, if it is getting larger or becomes painful she may have an infection so then I would take her in for an exam and treatment. I expect the bump to get smaller in a few days to a week. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Trixie.

It is difficult to appreciate any swelling or lump from the pictures provided. However, in general lumps can be due to an insect bite, an allergic reaction, an abscess, a fatty deposit or a cancerous mass. Your veterinarian will be able to test the mass by performing a fine needle aspirate to diagnose what it is. Treatment will depend on the cause of the mass.