My dog's swollen, red skin tag is bothering her. Should I see a vet?

Question

Bella's always had this skin tag, and it rarely bothers her. It only gets swollen when her blood pressure rises (e.g., anxiety, excitement). Over the past four days, it's become and stayed swollen (maybe 2-2.5 times its normal size), red, and somewhat cracked. She's licking it a lot too, which likely isn't helping but also indicates it's bothering her. Does it pose a threat to her health, or would asking a vet to remove it otherwise be in Bella's best interest? Pet's info: Dog | Dutch Shepherd | Female | spayed | 4 years and 3 months old | 50 lbs

Susan England-Foster · Accepted Answer

I would highly recommend taking Bella to a vet for an aspirate as soon as possible. My concern if the mass gets bigger and smaller is a possible mast cell tumor. This is a type of skin cancer and the mass should be removed. Your vet should be able to place a small needle into the mass and look at the cells under a microscope to determine what it is. IF the mass is only a cyst/non cancerous growth it does not have to be surgically removed. However if you feel like it is hurting her/causing discomfort I would recommend removing it

My dog's swollen, red skin tag is bothering her. Should I see a vet?

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