How do I know if a lump on my dog is serious

Lumps On Dogs. How To Know When To Worry And What To Expect At The Vet

When you pay enough attention to your dog, as we know many dog parents do, there are times when youll find that something is out of place. Either theyre limping in a way that you dont know what caused it, or maybe they arent as interested in their toys the way they used to be. Changes like those arent always something that causes instant concern, but when you notice a lump or bump on your dogs body that wasnt there before, panic may come soon after.

While keeping your pet healthy and safe does sometimes require that knee-jerk reaction of fear, a lump or bump on your dogs skin doesnt always require a trip to an emergency vet. Below, weve broken down some of the different types of lumps that can be found on dogs. Of course, the only one who can tell you that for sure whether a mysterious bump is a cause for worry will be your vet, so be sure to schedule the next appointment available so your furry friend can get checked out.

What is a lump on your dog? How to identify something that shouldnt be there

For many pet owners, their dog is one of their best friends, if not the best. They spend a lot of quality time with their pet and possibly even their personal space. But even if you are spending every waking minute with your dog, theres a chance that something new may develop that you dont notice right away.

Lumps and bumps on your dog can easily be something you dont notice for a while. Either they are small enough that you dont feel it as it develops, or its in a spot on their body that you dont often come into contact with, like the inside of their leg for example.

Finding the lump is the first step. The second will be to not panic, not all bumps on a dog mean that they have cancer. That being said, your next step is to get an appointment with your vet to get the lump checked out and confirm whether its something that needs to be worried about or not.

Its also often recommended that you measure the bump; knowing where it started with an objective number makes it easier to keep track of the progress of the bump. There are times when our memories and eyes can deceive us into thinking that the bump is getting larger or smaller, and having a measurement will make it easier to know what changes haveor have notbeen happening.

Common types of lumps on dogs

Lipomas or fatty tumors

Lipomas are commonly thought of as a part of the aging process for dogs. They are benign tumors that are just a mass of fat cells under normal skin. These are usually soft, round, and movable. They are commonly found around the ribsthough they can show up in other places on the body as wellon middle-aged to senior dogs who lean toward being overweight.

Lipomas are often not something that you need to worry about on your dog. They are slow-growing and shouldnt cause your dog any discomfort. Your vet will ask you to monitor the growth and if it affects your dogs day-to-day life. If it grows quickly, or to a point your dog starts to have to work around it, it can be removed. Or it can be removed when its diagnosed, as well.^1-9

Sebaceous cysts

The easiest way to describe this is that its like a pimple on your dog. A sebaceous cyst is a blocked oil gland on your dog. They can be small or grow significantly larger than youd expect a pimple to.

Do not try to pop a cyst on your dog. More often than not a sebaceous cyst will go away on its own either by shrinking away or popping in its own time and releasing a white, pasty substance. If you attempt to pop a cyst on your own there is a higher chance for it to become irritated or infected, and it can become a significantly higher threat to your dogs health in the long run. Its best to monitor a sebaceous cyst, and if it grows rapidly without popping check in with your vet. But do not try to pop it on your own.^1-7,9

Abscesses

An abscess is swelling caused by puss building up under the skin. This can be caused by anything from an infection to an insect bite. Abscesses can develop quickly and become painful to your dog if not cared for quickly.

They will always require treatment by a vet to drain the puss safely and prescribe antibiotics to make sure that it doesnt return or spread infection in their body. While they do require a trip to the vet, they are not typically something that should cause great worry. Most often, they are taken care of and forgotten about once the antibiotics have run their course.^2-9

Hematomas

A hematoma is a raised bruise on the surface of your dogs skin. It can be painful when touched for your dog and comes from a direct trauma to that part of their body. While a hematoma isnt necessarily something youd need to worry about for your dogs health, there is a chance that it is signifying more damage underneath that part of their skin, and should be checked out by a vet to make sure that there arent any hidden injuries, like a broken bone, beneath the bump.^3,4

Warts

Warts are small bumps on a dogs skin that have a texture similar to that of cauliflower. They can be caused by many different factors, anything from viral infections, vaccination locations, and even just aging.

For most younger dogs, their body is developing their immune system and it will be able to heal the wart by itself. However, for older dogs, they may need to be removed by your vet. Either way, if you notice that your dog has developed a wart, it wouldnt hurt to give your vet a call to see what they think should be done or how to efficiently track its progression.^2,4,5,6

Papules

Papules are small bumps that develop, usually around a hair follicle, due to an allergic reaction or are the result of a minor infection. Typically, they will go away on their own after the allergen is removed. However, if you arent sure that the bumps are papules, take your dog to the vet to get them checked out; they may also provide an allergy test to help identify what allergen caused the bumps to show up.⁴

Histiocytoma or Button Tumors

These are red, bubble shaped, non-cancerous tumors that appear on young dogs and puppies any time between ages 8-weeks to 3-years old. They are a buildup of excess immune cells that press into the skin. Normally button tumors are able to go away on their own, but if your pup starts to get irritated by it or bite and scratch it, it may be better to discuss a surgical removal with your vet.^5,7,8,9

Mast cell tumors (cancerous lumps)

Mast cell tumors are the most common form of skin cancer in dogs. They can have many different looks depending on where, how, and when they develop on your dog. They can be both over the dogs skinwhere you would be able to see it past their furor under, hidden by their fur. They usually feel solid and firm to the touch and can be irregularly shaped, rather than the expected rounded bump.

Because mast cell tumors are a skin cancer, they need professional treatment. Your vet will likely recommend a surgical removal of the affected tissue as well as a small border layer around it to make sure that all of the cancerous cells are removed. When caught early, this process is very effective and your pup will be back on the move in no time.^1-9

Enlarged lymph nodes

Lymph nodes can be found in many different areas of your dogs body. Swelling in lymph nodes can be an initial indicator that there may be an infection or something that your dogs immune system is fighting off.

Enlarged lymph nodes can be a sign of many different health troubles in your dog, so like all of the other lumps and bumps you may find on your dog its important to have it checked out by your vet.

Common places to find an enlarged lymph node include lumps on your dogs neck under their jaw or a lump in their armpit.

Enlarged lymph nodes can mean anything from your dog fighting a small infection to canine lymphoma developing in that area. In either case, noticing that there is a lymph node that is swelling, getting them to the vet as soon as possible to have tests run will greatly improve their chances for easy treatment.

What to expect your vet to do in response to the lump

When you take your dog to a vet to check out a lump that youve just found, if it isnt one of the more unique and identifiable bumps, like a wart for example, they will use different tests to identify what is causing the bump and how much you need to worry about it.

One of those tests will most often be a Fine Needle Aspiration (FNA). This is when your vet will take a small, unintrusive needle and stick the bump to get a sample of cells. Theyll look at the sample of cells under a microscope and use the information that they find there to identify if there are any cancerous properties in the lump and if not, what kind of lump it may be. A majority of lumps on dogs are diagnosed with an FNA.⁹

If the FNA is unable to identify what is causing the lump, your vet may sedate your dog to take a biopsy of the lump. A biopsy will require a part of the lump, or all of it if its small, to be removed and examined closely by a laboratory.^8,9

If the lump has fluid inside, whether the fluid is the main cause of the lump or not, then an FNA cannot be done. In these instances, the fluid itself is extracted and sent to a lab for closer inspection on a molecular level to determine what that fluid is.^8,9

Once your vet has the results of any of these common tests, they will come up with the best plan of action. For some cases, the plan will just be to keep an eye on the size and note if it starts getting smaller or larger; if the latter occurs then typically a secondary visit to the vet is necessary. For more serious cases they may recommend antibiotics or surgical removal.

While lumps dont always have to cause panic, its always better to be safe than sorry. Even if you feel confident that your dogs bump is the kind that will go away on its own, it doesnt hurt to give your vet a call. Many vet clinics also list an associate email address, and pet owners are encouraged to use this email address to ask questions and send in photos of their pet's issue. If a lump is something to be concerned about, the clinic will then let you know to schedule a physical appointment.

ImpriMed is a precision medicine practice that develops personalized canine lymphoma chemotherapy treatment plans, find out how ImpriMed can help you here.

Dog with a Bleeding Tumor or Lump: What to Do (FAQ with our Vet)

Unfortunately, our dogs are not immune to lumps, bumps, or tumors. Theyre actually very common. Its also fairly common for those same lumps and bumps to bleed periodically. Whether the bleed is directly related to the tumor type or to your dog scratching or nibbling the lump, seeing blood can be troubling. Dont worry, were here to help! In this article, we will look at what can be done to help your dog.

What Happens When a Tumor or Lump Bleeds?

There are different situations:

1. There are some types of tumors that bleed because they are actually coming from blood vessels.

2. There are tumors or lumps that bleed because the skin covering them gets disrupted. This is often because the tumor is causing your dog some discomfort, and they start to scratch or chew at it.

Of course, the first reason is more of a concern than the second reason, but both are alarming.

If a tumor or lump bleeds an excessive amount, your dog may be in immediate danger. If it just bleeds small amounts over time, theres not immediate danger, but it does open them up to the chance of infection and other issues.

Dr. Chyrle Bonk

What Can You Do At Home to Stop a Bleeding Tumor on a Dog?

Whether your dog has a new lump or a previously diagnosed tumor, when it starts to bleed, it can be very alarming. Fortunately, there are some things you can do to make your pup more comfortable.

1. Stay calm. Seeing blood can elicit some fear and get your adrenaline pumping, so take a big deep breath and then find out where the blood is coming from.
2. If you can, apply pressure to the bleeding with a towel or other absorbent material. If the lump is in a good area, try to snuggly wrap it.
3. Call your veterinarian. Maybe this is the first time or the 31^st time your dog has had a bleeding tumor or lump, but your vet will want to know about it. They may ask you to come immediately if theres a lot of blood or give you the next available appointment if youre able to get it under control.
4. Keep the lump covered until your veterinary appointment to help prevent further bleeding and to keep it clean.

One dog owner asked us: I just noticed a lump on my dog and its bleeding. How do I find out if its a cancerous lump? Do dog benign tumors bleed?

The only way to know what makes up a lump is by visiting your vet. They will take a sample of the lump to find out if it is cancerous or not. Just looking at a tumor or seeing it bleed will not tell you if its cancerous or not since benign tumors can also bleed.

What Will My Veterinarian Do For My Dog With a Bleeding Tumor or Lump?

Hopefully your quick and careful at-home care has gotten your dogs bleeding lump under control before you get to the vets office. If not, that will be the first thing your vet will tackle. From there, they will decide how to fix this issue permanently. If the lump is previously undiagnosed, your vets going to want to find out what it is. They will take a sample of it either with a needle and syringe or by biopsy and analyze the results.

Dr. Chyrle Bonk

Some samples may need to be sent to another lab for proper diagnosis. Learn more about the costs of FNAs and biopsies.

With any luck, the tumor or lump is small enough and in a favorable spot to just remove-get it out of there so that it cant bleed anymore.

If the lump is in a spot where surgery isnt an option, cryotherapy or electrocautery may be tried. For cancerous tumors, chemotherapy or radiation may be discussed as well.

Types of Bleeding Tumors in Dogs

Any tumor or lump in the skin can bleed, especially if your dog is bothered by it and scratches or chews on it. Tumors and lumps can also bleed if they are big enough to get caught and torn on something.

That being said, there are some tumor types that can bleed because thats the type of tumor they are. These types of tumors tend to be more worrisome because of the risk of bleeding excessively to the point that its dangerous for the pup.

Hemangiosarcomas

This is a type of tumor that comes from the blood vessels. They can happen anywhere on the body, and as you can imagine, are capable of bleeding because, well, theyre made up of blood vessels. Hemangiosarcomas are the malignant type of this kind of tumor in that they have a tendency to spread to other areas. They are a high-risk type of tumor because of their spreading capabilities and the chance that they could cause excessive bleeding at any time.

Hemangiosarcomas arise from a mix of genetics and environmental factors. Tumors can pop up on internal organs and will only show up as signs of weakness, paleness, or collapse if they start to bleed. Tumors on the skin can show up as purplish-reddish bumps or swellings on or under the skin. They may bleed spontaneously. The best treatment for hemangiosarcoma is surgical removal +/- chemotherapy if the cancer has already spread.

Hemangiomas

Hemangiomas are just like hemangiosarcomas minus the spreading capability. This means that they are benign tumors but can still be serious. Hemangiomas also come from blood vessels anywhere in the body and can spontaneously (and dangerously) bleed. They can show up on internal organs, not causing any signs until they start to bleed, or they can show up as red bumps on the skin. Either way, your vet will diagnose using a biopsy or take a sample with a needle to analyze under the microscope.

Hemangiomas should also be removed surgically to prevent any bleeding, but the prognosis is much better than with hemangiosarcomas since they dont spread to other areas.

Others

Lets just say this one more time: any tumor or lump can bleed. It doesnt take a specific type. Skin tags, warts, fatty tumors, or mast cell tumors can all bleed, especially if your pup is worried by them and overlicks, scratches, or nibbles at them.

FAQs

How do you know if a bleeding tumor or lump is an emergency?

If you know that your dog has a vascular tumor like a hemangioma or hemangiosarcoma, bleeding can be very detrimental, so seek veterinary care as soon as possible. If your dog has another tumor type that is bleeding and you arent able to get the bleeding under control by applying pressure, get emergency care.

What does it mean when a tumor or lump on a dog bleeds?

Vascular tumors may bleed spontaneously because they come from blood vessels, and any extra pressure or bump can set them to bleeding. Other tumors can bleed if they are scratched, chewed, or scraped. This usually means that they are in a spot that is bothering your dog or that they are painful, and they want them gone.

Does a bleeding cancerous tumor impact my dogs life expectancy?

This depends on the type of cancerous tumor that your dog has. Vascular tumors that bleed can be life-threatening, especially if theyre internal. Other types of tumors may bleed and not have any impact on life expectancy. Be sure to have any lump or bump looked at by a vet to determine what it is and what to do about it.

What happens when a tumor or lump bleeds?

There are a few tumors out there that actually come from blood vessels. These are dangerous tumors to bleed because they have a huge blood supply backing them, making it possible for a dog to lose a lot of blood very quickly. Other tumors can also bleed, especially if theyre bothersome to your dog and they scratch or chew on them, causing a bleeding wound. These tumors are less likely to cause excessive blood loss but can make quite a mess and then become infected.

Are bleeding tumors painful for dogs?

Some tumors can be painful, especially if theyre in an area that sees a lot of movement, such as the groin or armpit, or where they may get easily irritated.

• Dr. Chyrle Bonk received her Master in Animal Science from the University of Idaho and her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) from Oregon State University in 2010. She has over 10 years of experience in small animal veterinary practice, working for a veterinary clinic in Idaho.

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Disclaimer: This website's content is not a substitute for veterinary care. Always consult with your veterinarian for healthcare decisions. Read More.