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My dog has a swollen bump on his head. Should I ice or see a vet?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed | Male | neutered | 57 lbs

I have a dog that recently ran off and when he came back I notice a small bump on the back of the head between the ears. At first I didn't think anything about it but the next day it grew a little bigger. Again I thought it should be ok. The 3rd day it grew to the size of a tennis ball. I was worried now so applied an ice pack on it and the swelling went down. Should I continue to apply the ice pack or is there a need of concern? Other then that he is still his happy old self.

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on January 19th, 2018

How awful for you that Buds ran off but I'm glad he came back! There are a couple of things this bump could be on his head. He could have injured himself, he could have an abscess, an insect bite, or he could have a cyst. Given that the bump has down with the ice pack and he is acting his normal self, I would continue to ice the bump for five minutes at a time a couple of times a day for the next two to three days. Should the bump go away completely, you can stop icing it. If the bump doesn't go away, gets larger, he has behavior changes such as lethargy and anorexia, and/or he shows other symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea, then I would take him into a vet to have him examined. Good luck, I hope this helps!

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