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My dog has a fast-growing, bleeding bump on her face. Is it serious?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Large (61lb +) | Female | spayed | 8 years and 2 months old | 75 lbs

My dog got what looked like a pimple on her face yesterday but it continues to grow. Now it is fairly large and I think she is scratching it because it is now raw and bleeding a little. It grew pretty fast as this all showed up yesterday afternoon. I am unsure what it is, if I should be concerned or what to do since it is a holiday weekend and everyone is closed.

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2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Kevin Sanada, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on November 23rd, 2017

This could be caused by a couple of different things, and unfortunately, it's not possible to tell exactly what it is from the picture. It could be an infection, glandular cyst, or a type of skin cancer. Given that Isabelle is a light-colored dog and is older, I would want to rule-out skin cancer as the cause, because this could get much worse if not treated promptly. In order to get an accurate diagnosis, a vet will need to examine this and do some testing. They can also give some medication to control infection and/or inflammation. This is not an emergency, but it would be good to take her to the vet within the next day or two. I hope that helps and Isabella gets better soon.

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    Answered By C. Rathjens, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on February 15th, 2018

    Poor Diva. It's always a good idea to get any new or changing growths checked out by her vet to determine if they are cancerous and need to be removed. Skin cancers are very common in dogs and range from deadly to minor annoyances. They also get many masses that are not cancerous. Your vet will likely use a tiny needle to sample some cells from the growth and look at them under a microscope. If the area is infection, Diva might need antibiotics and pain medication for a couple weeks before they can do the sampling. I hope she's feeling better soon!

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