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My dog has a golf ball lump near a scratch. Could it be a fatty cyst?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Labrador Retriever | Female | spayed | 11 years and 6 months old | 60 lbs

my lab scratched her side on her kennel and it hasn't bothered her at all and now we noticed a golf ball size lump next to it that we never noticed before? Is this an emergency visit or what could it be? she has had fatty cysts in past

3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Ricardo Fernandez, DVM

Veterinarian, Veterinary Oncology Resident

Published on August 16th, 2017

Hi! This could be a benign or malgnant growth. There is a large variety of tumors that can have a similar appearance such as lipomas (benign) and mast cell tumors (malignant). I recommend you have Shya evaluated by your veterinarian for a test called fine needle aspirate which is easy, quick and pain free and in most cases yields a diagnosis. In some cases a biopsy is needed. Having this information can help guide what the next step should be for Shya, if any. I do not think it is an emergency. You should probably schedule with tour veterinarian at your earliest convenience. Keeping my fingers crossed that everything will be just fine!

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Jeffrey Milner

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    Hi, sorry to hear this happened. A small scratch has the possibility to get infected. I would clip the hair around the wound with hair trimmers and warm compress it to see if there is fluid underneath. If there is discharge, she will likely need antibiotics. If there is not, it could be a fat deposit called a lipoma, especially if she has had these before. A vet can aspirate a sample with a needle and look at it under a microscope and let you know. If you see discharge, take her to the vet within the next day or two. If you do not, you can monitor the lump for getting larger, redness or ulceration or make a vet appointment to have it checked at your convenience. Good luck, I hope this helps!

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    Answered By Megan, DVM, CVA

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    This could be an abscess (infection under the skin) or it could be a mass like a lipoma (fatty deposit) or other type of mass. I don't believe this is an emergency but I would try to get her seen really soon so you can ensure she doesn't need oral antibiotics and if it is a mass, ensure it doesn't need to be surgically removed. I hope this helps!

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