Why is my dog's skin tag red, irritated, and sensitive under her arm?

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. What you are seeing appears to be a rash that could be secondary to chafing. In a young active dog chafing can be common from high activity due to the friction leading to the redness and inflammation that you are seeing currently. I typically recommend using a spray such as malacetic conditioning spray and apply to the area until resolved. This spray will have a steroid in it to reduce inflammation and redness. It also has an antibacterial component to it so that if there is a secondary bacterial infection in this area it will help treat that. To help prevent future episodes, I typically recommend applying a greasy ointment in the armpit area such as Biobalm. This is a product that you can find online quite easily. I hope this helps! Please feel free to contact me with any other questions or concerns that you may have.

Hello, The redness associated with the skin tag could be trauma but I would advise you to take a picture and monitor the area for swelling, discharge or increase in size. If you notice any changes, have Chloe examined and discuss aspirating (sticking a needle into the tissue to remove cells) the area to rule out infection or cancer.

Hello, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I do not think this is anything to be worried about right now. Just point it out to the vet at Skippy's next veterinary appointment. Sometimes these skin tags will change colors but that doesn't necessarily mean it is a problem. Rarely will skin tags turn into a malignancy. Of course, if you are worried about it there is no harm in having your vet check it out now. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

That mass could be several things. Red raised hairless masses can be benign growths such as warts, histiocytomas, reactions or infected hair follicles. They can unfortunately also be malignant grows such as Mast Cell Tumor or Plasmacytoma. I would recommend to have it checked out by the vet who may be better able to tell how concerned you should be by palpating the mass and the surrounding lymphnodes. The good news is that the majority of masses are benign but it's always better to be safe. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

I would highly recommend taking Bella to a vet for an aspirate as soon as possible. My concern if the mass gets bigger and smaller is a possible mast cell tumor. This is a type of skin cancer and the mass should be removed. Your vet should be able to place a small needle into the mass and look at the cells under a microscope to determine what it is. IF the mass is only a cyst/non cancerous growth it does not have to be surgically removed. However if you feel like it is hurting her/causing discomfort I would recommend removing it

Hello. You are correct, this is a skin tag, but a bit bigger than a tag. At this point, you have a pedunculated mass. About 99% of these are totally benign, but we do recommend removal just because they can continue to grow & become traumatized. Removal is curative. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Most skin tags are benign and require nothing more than close monitoring. If they are big enough, there is a risk of getting caught on something. Monitor for rapid change or growth. If the tag causes pain or impedes motion then have it examined by your veterinarian.