My 4-month-old Chocolate Lab has a strange lump. What is it?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This could be a benign or malignant growth. 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!

Hello. For the most part, benign lumps & nodules are very common in animals, even very young ones. If it remains fairly stable, & does not appear to be growing or causing Brie any discomfort, just have your vet take a look at it at your next wellness visit. If it begins to enlarge, become irritated or starts bleeding, please have it evaluated as soon as possible. Some benign tumors, like histiocytomas, will actually regress on their own over time. Just watch it for now. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

It could be a cyst, papilloma, histiocytoma, or a pustule. You could have her examined by a vet to determine the exact cause. Your vet can do a needle aspirate to diagnose and then determine if treatment is needed Papillomas and histiocytomas are common in young dogs and usually resolve with no treatment.

Hi there and thank you for using Pet Coach! It is difficult to say what the growth you are seeing is since there are no pictures. Seeing that Carl is quite a young dog, I would suspect what you are seeing is benign. Many times in dogs this young when we see a mass it is likely a papilloma secondary to exposure to the papilloma virus or a histiocytoma. Both of these typically resolve on their own and will occasionally need surgical intervention for removal. If the mass is not going away on its own or is multiplying in number, I would have this examined by a veterinarian and have further testing performed to help further determine what this could be so that the most appropriate treatment can be recommended. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction! I am also available via consultation if needed.

Poor Emmitt! The lesions on his leg and muzzle could be due a bacterial skin infection (often from underlying allergies), ringworm, or mange. Make sure that he is receiving a high quality flea preventative regularly, such as Nexgard, Bravecto, or K9 Advantix II since flea allergies can lead to itching and subsequent skin infections. You can also try bathing Emmitt in an antimicrobial shampoo ( http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=27982 ), but use caution around his face and be sure to rinse and dry well. Also consider switching to stainless steel bowls rather than plastic or ceramic bowls if you aren't already using them in case the lesions on his face are related to an "acne-like" condition. Stainless steel is less porous than the other materials and tends to harbor less bacteria. If these skin lesions persist or worsen, Emmitt will need to take a trip to his vet for further evaluation. I hope that all goes well!

If it recently got bigger than you should have a vet take a look at the lump to determine the cause. She could have an infection, cyst, or a mass and your vet can do a needle aspirate to help diagnose and then determine if any treatment is needed.

I would recommend taking Alfie to the vet to have the lump looked at. A wart can become infection however warts are not very common in younger dogs. It is possible Alfie has a skin infection, cyst, non cancerous growth or even an allergic reaction. You can try an over the counter anti histamine but a vet visit would be the best option