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My dog's white bump is now red, bleeding, and oozing. Why?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Small (up to 22lb) | Male | neutered | 11 years and 5 months old | 19 lbs

My dog has a white raised bump on him. He has had it for years and it's appears fine, but now has a red bum and is oozing blood and white discharge

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2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Lauren Kennedy, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on October 20th, 2017

This looks like a typica skin wart/skin tumor or cyst. Since it has been present for so long and has not grown at all, it is probably benign (non cancerous). It looks as if the area has been irritated somehow, probably by your dog scratching at it, and is now bleeding and may be infected. Or, if it is a cyst, the white material may just be cystic exudate. I would recommend cleaning the area with some dilute hydrogen peroxide then applying some antibiotic ointment to help prevent infection and to help it heal more quickly. Occasionally these need to be removed but only if they are a constant source of irritation or infection for the dog. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck!

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    Answered By Dr. Strydom, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on December 31st, 2017

    It sounds like that lump is a sebaceous cyst. Benign but will not ever go completely away without surgical removal. I would not consider this an emergency. Just keep it clean until you can get Sadie back to your vet for a recheck and to talk about removing it. Don't use peroxide to clean it. Just dilute betadine solution (1:10 dilution) would be fine. http://www.pethealthnetwork.com/dog-health/dog-diseases-conditions-a-z/sebaceous-cysts-cats-or-dogs Hope this helps. Best wishes.

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