My dog has a non-cancerous paw growth that gets infected. What to do?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Dog | Jack Russell Terrier | Male | neutered
Our dog has a strange growth which has overtaken his paw pad. It’s been biopsied - not cancerous. It’s a mystery and we can’t walk him without a boot because it gets infected! Any ideas?
3 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on December 30th, 2017
Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is possible that this is still cancer and perhaps the biopsy that was taken was not representative. It really may not be cancer and it may represent fibrosis or inflammation and scar tissue. I think it would be a good idea to consider getting larger biopsies to see if the diagnosis changes. If it does come back as cancer, this could be removed. Even if benign, your veterinarian could consider referring Milo to a board certified surgeon to see if there is surgical option to remove this even if benign for quality of life purposes. Good luck and best wishes!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
-
Published on May 11th, 2019
If it is growing fast, it could be a malignancy. Unfortunately, the only way to know definitively wold be to have it biopsied or removed completely then submitted for pathology. There is no way to say for sure just by sight. Given its location, you may want to consult with a veterinary surgeon to discuss removal. A consult with a veterinary oncologist would also be recommended if biopsy results show a malignancy.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
-
Published on April 28th, 2018
This does look like a wart or a tumor, possibly a melanoma. You will need to take him to your vet to have this examined and removed while it is small. Even a wart should be removed in this location while it is small, as eventually it will grow and then bother the dog. When it is big and needs to be removed, there may not be enough tissue to close the wound, so it should be taken care of while it is little.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
My dog is aroun 9 years old..having a large yst type outgrowth over its foot..its very big in size and bleed alot..
My dog has a lump on the side of his paw pad - very round but seems to have gotten bigger recently and deeper? He's had it around 6 months but as he's people reactive the vet has never been able to examine it properly even muzzled and said it should
My dog has a sore on her front paw no fur on it size of a 20 pence
Weird red bump on dog paw. Almost hairless, firm and raised
Our pup has an infection on her foot and we have another appointment tomorrow morning with a new vet because our last wasn’t helpful. Her foot has gotten so large and she’s in a lot of pain! She is currently on antiobiotics
Very concerned about this large tumor like growth on my beagle's paw. Had her to vet already. They x-rayed and gave her 10 days of pain meds and antibiotics. I have been soaking in warm epsom salt water and applying Neosporin. Only getting worse. Wha
My dog has developed a bump on her front paw and now upper lip. One on paw burst and drained, but came back. Lip look oks like it could pop. What could this be?
Noticed yesterday some Kind of growth on dogs heel. It’s bleeding now . It’s prob size of ring finger nail.. not sure if it’s serous enough to bring her into vet..
Mia has had this bump on her front paw for over a year now. She licks it all the time especially when she’s anxious about something. Had the vet look at it a while back but it was too small to really do anything with it. I always worry about this bum
My 3 year old mastiff mix has a lump on the side of his left paw. It's nasty looking. His behavior isn't changed. He's still eating, drinking, and acting normal. No weight loss. Been there 1 wk +/-. It doesn't seem to bother him, or hurt him. He lets
Book an appointment with the pros – our expert vets are here to help.
