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My dog has bumps on his elbow and paw. What are they? Vet visit?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Large (61lb +) | Male | neutered | 70 lbs

I found a bump in my dogs elbow. There’s a similar one in his paw but it’s smaller. What is it ? Should I take him to the vet ? He’s been eating fine and no other problems.

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3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Daniel Fonza, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on December 10th, 2017

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern! From the pictures you have provided, this appears to be what we call a sebaceous adenoma. This is a benign skin mass that we typically start to see develop in middle aged to older dogs. They do not cause any harm but can become sore and open from time to time. If these masses become infected or are painful I then recommend having them removed, otherwise, monitoring them is absolutely fine to do. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further!

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    Answered By Daniel Fonza, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on October 24th, 2017

    Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. Judging from the picture, the bump you are referring to appears to be what we call a sebaceous adenoma. These are typically benign wart like skin tumors that develop in older dogs. Sometimes these can open and bleed when they get caught on something. I typically recommend removing them when they start to become bothersome or bleed. Otherwise, you can monitor the bump for now. I hooe this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns.

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    Answered By Amy S. Eutsey, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on August 21st, 2017

    It looks like Princess has a skin growth called a sebaceous adenoma. These are non-cancerous growths that arise from the oil glands of the skin. It seems that some breeds are more prone to these such as poodles, schnauzer, shih tzus, Lhasa apso, Maltese and cocker spaniel- but any dog can develop these. They should be surgically removed if they are a nuisance...your dog chews at them, they bleed or become infected. Some dogs will develop several of these over time. I do always recommend a hands on exam by your vet to look at any new growth and confirm our suspicions, so please have your vet take a look at this during her next appointment.

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