My senior dog has a bleeding paw growth. Is it serious or urgent?

Question

Noticed blood on floor, in very small doses, over the last week. Checked my dogs feet since we thought she might be injured. Her dewclaws were removed when she was young and this strange growth is what it looks like. What is this growth? What can we do about it? This first picture is her healthy dewclaw scar, the second and the third picture shows her left hind dewclaw with the strange growth. My wife is thinking of taking her to an emergency vet, but i would like to hear to some other opinion. Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Large (61lb +) | Female | spayed | 8 years and 4 months old | 70 lbs

Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS · Accepted Answer

Oh no, poor Molly! That growth certainly doesn't look normal and I would definitely have it checked out by a vet. As long as she is eating and drinking normally, otherwise behaving normally, and is going to the bathroom normally, I would not say this is an emergency. It can wait until the morning to have her seen by a vet. In a senior dog, this growth could potentially be a malignant tumor, but it could also be a benign tumor. The vet can perform a test called a fine needle aspirate on it. To do this, the vet sticks a small needle into the growth to get a sample of it's 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 is found, the vet can discuss treatment options with you. I hope this helps!

My senior dog has a bleeding paw growth. Is it serious or urgent?

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