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What's this firm lump under my older dog's skin? Should I worry?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Large (61lb +) | Female | spayed | 125 lbs

Egg sized, egg shaped lump on my older (probably 8 yr old) German Shep/Dobbie mix. It's under the skin and firm. Any ideas to keep me calm until I can get her into the vet this week?

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1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Amy Poole, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on June 18th, 2017

There are numerous causes of lumps on a dog Sheba's age, and not all are worrisome. Dogs can develop non-cancerous lumps like cysts, seromas (pockets of fluid), abscesses, and bruises. Some of these can go away after being drained by a veterinarian. Dogs can also develop lipomas, which are benign fatty tumors, that generally do not cause problems. Some owners elect to remove them and some monitor them at home. The best way to figure out what is going on is to take Sheba in to have your vet examine her and possibly do a fine needle aspirate of this lump, which involves sticking a small needle into the lump and trying to remove cells/fluid. These cells/fluid can then be examined under the microscope to help determine what the lump is made of and how it needs to be treated.

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