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My dog has a dark red, hairy growth on his foot. Is it serious?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed | Male | neutered | 12 years and 5 months old | 9 lbs

I just noticed a growth on the top of my dog's foot. It is a dark red to brown in color and does have some hair growing from it. It stands about 1/8 of an inch high. About a quarter of an inch across. He doesn't seem to experience any pain when it is touched. It's not a pimple because it seems like it is set up high where as a pimple is raised gradually.

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2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Macartney, BVet Med, MRCVS

Veterinarian

Published on September 12th, 2017

From the pictures you have sent the "bump" appears to be a skin growth. There are several types off masses that can grow in the skin of dogs such as cysts, lipomas, and even some types of cancer. Some are benign and some are malignant, so careful observation is important, as well as having a vet examine it if you are concerned. Since you only just noticed the lump, I would continue to monitor it for growth, ulceration, changes in texture or color. Measure the mass with a ruler so you can compare its growth in a couple weeks time. Rapidly growing masses are more concerning. If the mass has grown in that time frame, becomes ulcerated, infected, or irritated I would have it examined by a veterinarian. I hope that this answer was helpful and more importantly that Ziggy feels better soon. Warmest regards to you both.

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    Answered By Kevin Sanada, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    This looks like a little skin tumor. It could also be a cyst, but they usually don't look like that. There are some tumors that can be cancerous and in older dogs this is more common. I don't want to alarm you too much, but it's worth getting it checked out by a veterinarian. They can take a sample of it, or remove it and inspect it for signs of cancerous cells. Since it is small, this should be rather quick and easy for a vet to do. I hope that helps and all turns out OK for Ziggy.

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