My dog has a scabby, dime-sized lump on his thigh. Vet needed?

This looks like it could be a growth and it's clearly bothering him if he's biting at it. Any suspicious lumps should be examined by the vet. The vet can perform a test called a fine needle aspirate on it. To do this, the vet sticks a small needle into the lump to get a sample of its cells, and examines the cells on a slide under a microscope. It's usually painless to the animal, and relatively quick to perform. Once the cause of the lump is diagnosed, the vet can discuss treatment options if needed. Give his vet a call to make him an appointment.

Since Sunshine is young, this may be something like a histiocytoma (see the link below), but the only way to know for sure is for your vet to collect some cells with a needle (called a fine needle aspirate) and look at them under the microscope. https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=1676 There are other things that it could be, so I would recommend having your vet evaluate it to make sure that it isn't infected, that it is benign and decide if any treatment is needed right now. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.

Thank you for providing a picture! This could be a cyst or a benign growth. Any suspicious lumps should be examined by the vet. The vet can perform a test called a fine needle aspirate on it. To do this, the vet sticks a small needle into the lump to get a sample of its cells, and examines the cells on a slide under a microscope. It's usually painless to the animal, and relatively quick to perform. Once the cause of the lump is diagnosed, the vet can discuss treatment options if needed. Give Rocket's vet a call to make him an appointment. Best of luck.

I see that Tyson is a boxer, and they can be prone to mast cell tumors. Of course this could be a scab, but without seeing him in person, I can't say for certain. Any suspicious lumps should be examined by the vet. The vet can perform a test called a fine needle aspirate on it. To do this, the vet sticks a small needle into the lump to get a sample of its cells, and examines the cells on a slide under a microscope. It's usually painless to the animal, and relatively quick to perform. Once the cause of the lump is diagnosed, the vet can discuss treatment options if needed. Give his vet a call in the morning to make him an appointment. I hope this helps.

It could be a small cyst, pustule/papule, or possibly a Histiocytoma which is a benign mass that is common in young dogs. Since it is getting more red, she should be examined by a vet to determine the cause. The vet may want to aspirate it and examine the contents under a microscope. She may need an antibiotic, anti-inflammatory, it may need to be removed, or just monitored (histiocytomas typically resolve with no treatment). You could use an over the counter spray, like Vetricyn, and see if that helps relieve any redness or discomfort.

You are correct with all of your possible causes. Bug bite, benign growths, and even tumor are all possibilities. If it does not resolve within a few days, or if it is getting any larger then 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 best treatment plan. Best of luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.

It's concerning this lump has gotten bigger, and it could be a cyst, a benign growth, or a malignant growth. Any suspicious lumps should be examined by the vet. The vet can perform a test called a fine needle aspirate on it. To do this, the vet sticks a small needle into the lump to get a sample of its cells, and examines the cells on a slide under a microscope. It's usually painless to the animal, and relatively quick to perform. Once the cause of the lump is diagnosed, the vet can discuss treatment options if needed. Give S's vet a call to make her an appointment.