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My young intact dog has a bleeding nipple lump. What should I do?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | English Springer Spaniel | Female | unspayed | 30 lbs

English springer spaniel has a lump next to one of her lower nipples. I pressed it to see if it hurt her and saw that blood came out of her nipple. She is between 8-11 months and is intact

5 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on May 2nd, 2017

Oh no, poor Maddie! It's very concerning that blood is coming out of her nipple and she should have suffering an injury or infection causing the lump and the blood. I would have her seen by a vet for this as soon as possible. The vet can diagnose what is causing her symptoms so she can be treated.

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    Answered By Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA

    Veterinarian, Certified Dog Trainer

    Published on

    Poor Maddie! It's definitely not normal to see a lump in this area and bleeding from the nipple, so I would be concerned that she may have an infected mammary gland or some other problem causing this. A mammary tumor would also be possible, but much less likely in such a young dog. I would recommend taking Maddie to the vet to have this checked as soon as you are able to - he/she can examine the area to help determine what the problem is, and will prescribe antibiotics or other medication to treat it depending on what is found.

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    Answered By Lindsey Edwards MVB, BSc, IVCA

    Veterinarian

    Published on October 20th, 2017

    I would be very concerned she may have a mammary tumour which may be causing her symptoms. Please get her assessed by your vet urgently, they may wish to run bloods to rule out infection and other medical causes also given her age

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  • Published on June 24th, 2018

    This kind of lump/growth needs to be ideally assessed by your veterinarian to have a definitive and specific answer. Usually there are two ways your vet can do that a part from examining it directly during physical examination. A biopsy can be taken under local or general anesthetic, otherwise a smaller sample through a fine needle can be aspirated (this technique is called FNA= fine needle aspiration). Differentials include skin cysts, infections, benign or more sinister type of tumors. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

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    Answered By Ricardo Fernandez, DVM

    Veterinarian, Veterinary Oncology Resident

    Published on July 4th, 2018

    Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This could be a benign or malignant growth. There is no way of knowing what it is just based on its appearance. 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!

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