What is this hard, shell-like growth that fell off my dog and bled?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Dog | German Shepherd | Male | 1 year and 9 months old | 100 lbs
Found something on my dog about a quarter inch long it was hard when I had a hold of it my dog pulled away and it pulled off but left a little hole in bleeding a little the thing is a shell and hard I think something might have been in it what could it be
2 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on September 7th, 2017
This looks like a cutaneous horn. Most of the time we don't know what causes it. It is a benign growth and doesn't always require treatment, but it will continue to come back over and over after it breaks off. The only way to remove it permanently is to have it surgically removed. For now, I would just keep the area where it fell off clean and apply a topical triple antibiotic ointment to prevent the skin from getting infected.
4Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on May 3rd, 2018
This is a cutaneous horn, This happens when some of the skin cells multiply excessively and do not get shed. So it then forms something like a nail (which is made from the same material ....keratin). This is nothing to worry about, It may fall off by itself. It is usually benign. You can have it removed by your vet who will excise the base of the horn, however it can still reoccur.
15Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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