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My dog has a new lump on her leg. Is it serious? When to see the vet?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Medium (23 - 60lb) | Female | spayed | 8 years and 4 months old | 26 lbs

I found this lump last week that I had never seen before at the top of my dogs leg on her thigh. It hasn't grown since last week though I'm wondering should I be concerned?

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2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Strydom, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on July 8th, 2017

Hi there. I do think you should take Cookie to your vet for an examination. Any time there is a lump present on your pet it should be checked. It is difficult for me to tell exactly what it is just by looking at it through a photo. That being said, it does look like a papilloma wart which is benign and is considered a cosmetic blemish only. Your vet may be able to tell what it is by looking at it and feeling it in person or they may have to do an aspirate of it (needle biopsy) to figure it out. I don't think is an emergency but I would try to get her in to your vet in the next week or so. I hope this helps. Best wishes.

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    Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

    Veterinarian

    Published on August 29th, 2019

    This looks like it could be a wart, but without seeing Belle in person, I can't say for certain. Any suspicious lumps should be examined by the 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 its 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 of the lump is diagnosed, the vet can discuss treatment options if needed. Give her vet a call to make her an appointment.

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