My dog has a golf ball-sized lump on her leg. Should I worry?

Question

My female beagle has a lump on her right rear leg about the size of a golf ball. what could this be? Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Medium (23 - 60lb) | Female | 1 year and 6 months old | 30 lbs

Dr. Davis · Accepted Answer

It sounds like Cutie has a tumor or abscess on her leg. Dogs also have lymph nodes you may be feeling which are on the back of the leg behind the knee. An abscess would be hot and painful and may feel soft. A lymph node would be under the skin, firm, round and smooth. If this is a tumor they can vary in feel. Malignant tumors are irregular, attached to the deeper tissue and grow quickly. Benign growths like lipomas or fatty growths are often just below the skin, they feel round and smooth but softer than a lymph node. To find out what the lump on Cutie is she needs a veterinary exam and they can put a needle into the lump and look at the cells under a microscope. They will be able to tell if it's a fatty growth or infection. If the cells look like they could be cancer they will send the cells out for cytology, or remove the lump and send that tissue for a diagnosis. As Cutie is a young dog it's most likely a benign growth, an infection, or you are just feeling a normal lymph node under the skin. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Cutie.

My dog has a golf ball-sized lump on her leg. Should I worry?

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