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What are these irritated growths on my dog's leg and near her anus?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Medium (23 - 60lb) | Female | spayed | 50 lbs

My dog Sassie has a growth on her left leg. And now a growth in the 12:00 position above her anus. The growth on her leg just started bothering her she keeps licking it and now it's irritated. She a bulldog/Terrier mix and about 9-10 years old. She is spayed and has had lyme and eurlychia for about 3 years now.

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2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Amy Poole, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on June 26th, 2017

Unfortunately it is hard to tell what that lump is just by the picture. I would recommend you take her in to see your vet for an exam and potentially a fine needle aspirate of this lump. A fine needle aspirate is a way to try to exfoliate cells from the lump and look at them under the microscope to try to tell what this lump is. Even if it is a benign lump, she may need to have it removed if she continues to lick it. She also may need topical treatment or potentially antibiotics and/or anti-inflammatories if the lump is infected or causing her pain. I often recommend taking lumps off of legs sooner, as they are easier and generally less expensive to remove and close the skin when they are small. Large lumps on limbs can be quite difficult to remove, as there isn't much additional skin in this area to close over the wound.

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    Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    Unfortunately given that Sassie is an older girl, these growths could be malignant tumors. There is also a chance they could be benign, but the only way to know for sure is to have her seen by a vet. The vet can perform a test called a fine needle aspirate on it. To do this, the vet sticks a small needle into the lump 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. I would have her seen by a vet today or tomorrow to have these growths diagnosed so they can be treated as needed. To keep Sassie from licking at the growth on her leg, I would put an Ecollar on her. You can get one at a pet store, or you can make one at home. I will put a link below on how to make one at home: http://dogsaholic.com/care/homemade-dog-cone.html

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