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My dog has a large bump. Could it be a tumor and what should I do?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Bull Terrier | Male | unneutered | 13 years and 1 month old | 77 lbs

I was hoping if someone could tell me what this could be on my dog. It's a very large bump.

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2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Davis

Veterinarian

Published on September 6th, 2017

This is a tumor. It's hard for me to tell the location on the dog from the photo. If it's growing quickly then it's more likely malignant and could spread to other parts of the body. If it's been there a long time then it's more likely benign. At the base it looks inflamed and may open up and drain. That would be messy and make it more likely to get a bad infection. If your dog is healthy even at age 13 I would have this removed, and they can biopsy it to determine the type of tumor. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Dexter.

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    Answered By Dr. Kristin DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    You're right! That is a very large bump! From the picture it looks like the mass (bump) is on the back of the leg right above the paw. That isn't a good spot for a mass, and I'm concerned about it. If you can get Dexter into a veterinarian they may be able to tell you with more certainty, but I would be concerned that this is a tumor. If it is soft and squishy or fluid filled, it could be an abscess or cyst, but it doesn't look that way in the picture. A veterinarian may be able to collect some cells with a needle, we call this "fine needle aspiration". This is probably a good next step to reach a diagnosis. Tumors can be benign (just a local mass that can be removed) or malignant (they can spread to internal organs or other regions of the body). I don't know how long Dexter has had this mass, or how quickly it is growing, but eventually it is likely to open up and bleed, and cause more problems. Removing the mass maybe difficult in that spot, but your veterinarian can make a better assessment about that possibility. I hope this information was helpful for you.

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