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Is a growing black spot on my dog's private area a sign of cancer?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Pomeranian | Female | unspayed | 10 years and 8 months old | 10.5 lbs

My pom has a black mole on her vagina. It has gotten larger over time. Could this be cancer?

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on December 7th, 2017

It certainly is possibly this lump could be cancerous at Pumpkin's age, and any growing lump should be checked out by a vet. The vet can perform a test called a fine needle aspirate on it. To do this, the vet sticks a small needle into the lump to get a sample of it's cells, and examines the cells on a slide under a microscope. It's usually painless to the animal, and relatively quick to perform. I would have her seen by a vet tomorrow to have this lump examined and diagnosed so it can be treated as needed. Good luck, I hope this helps!

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    Answered By Angel Alvarado, LVT

    Licensed Veterinary Technician

    Published on December 9th, 2021

    It may very well be a tumor, but without a physical exam and diagnostics, whether or not it is benign or malignant cannot be determined. You can choose to monitor it at home for rapid growth or change, discharge, bleeding or discomfort then have Pepper seen by your veterinarian or you can schedule an exam right away. Your veterinarian may perform a fine needle aspirate to collect samples for pathology or schedule Pepper for a biopsy procedure to collect a more substantial sample. Treatment options will depend on the results of the exam and aspirate/biopsy.

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