What is this raised, crusty bump with hair loss on my dog?

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.

Unfortunately, it's not possible to tell exactly what this is by looking at it. This could be either a cyst or tumor. It's more likely to be a tumor, because it's not common for skin cysts to be hairless like this. However, it has features of a benign tumor like histiocytoma. It's best to have Snoopy checked-out by a vet in order to get this adequately diagnosed. The vet will be able to take a sample and identify the cause of it. It's not an emergency, but good to have a vet see it within the next week or so. I hope that helps and all is well with Snoopy.

Hello, thank you for using PetCoach. Chances are that this is a sebaceous cyst. Sebaceous cysts are usually harmless, sack-like growths with a lining that is not cancerous. In dogs, most cysts develop from hair follicles. These cysts typically appear as single, clearly defined, firm or soft lumps located in the skin or just beneath it. They are often between 0.5 to 5 centimetres in size and may sometimes have a bluish colour. A cyst can release a thick, gray-to-yellow-brown cheesy substance if it bursts. Other terms for sebaceous cysts in dogs include infundibular or follicular cysts. The lump needs to have a fine needle aspirate (FNA)/cytology to be sure of that diagnosis. Here is a link about the procedure and why it is done. It does not require anesthesia. ( https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/cytology-fine-needle-aspiration-fna ) If it is a sebaceous cyst, it will be very obvious once the vet introduces the needle into the lump. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

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.

I don't think I'd be overly worried about this at this point in time. It could be just a follicular cyst. I suggest you just monitor it for now. If it does not go away in the next month or so, it gets larger or it starts to bother him then you should have your vet take a look at it. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Thanks for visiting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This appears to be a skin mass/tumor and can be either benign (non-cancerous) or malignant (cancerous). My hunch tells me it is likely a sebaceous gland cyst (benign tumor); however, it is always best to get masses tested through your vet to be sure. Masses like this are often removed during another surgical procedure, such as a teeth cleaning. Removal should be considered in case this thing ruptures or causes irritation to Sydney in the near future. I hope things work out well for your pet Sydney. Take care.

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.