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My dog has a hard lump under her chin near her jaw. Is it serious?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | American Pit Bull Terrier | Female | unspayed | 3 years and 7 months old | 70 lbs

how do I know if the hard ball under my dogs chim/neck near the jaw is a boil, cyst, tumor etc? it feels like a hard boil or cyst, and about the size of a dime or smaller. doesn't appear to hurt her when I move between my fingers. she's a 4 yr old American bull dog/pitbull mix

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2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Ricardo Fernandez, DVM

Veterinarian, Veterinary Oncology Resident

Published on February 1st, 2018

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This could be a benign or malignant growth. This is often differentiated by a test called a fine needle aspirate (FNA) which is a pain free, inexpensive and easy procedure which in most cases will help reach a diagnosis. Sometimes a biopsy is needed for a definitive diagnosis. I recommend that you have her evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. I am really hoping for something benign. Good luck and have a good night!

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    Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

    Veterinarian

    Published on November 21st, 2016

    There are a couple of things this could be. Chamoy could have an enlarged lymph node that could be due to a dental problem such as an infected tooth. It could also be a cyst, an abscess, a benign tumor, or a malignant tumor (unlikely in a young dog). I recommend taking him into the vet tomorrow for an exam. Any suspicious lumps should be examined by the 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.

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