What's this black lump on my dog's back near his tail he keeps licking?

This lump on Alfie could be a cyst, an abscess, a benign tumor, or a malignant tumor. 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. I would have Alfie seen by a vet tomorrow to have this lump examined and diagnosed so it can be treated as needed.

Hello, that looks like a local skin infection. This could be secondary to fleas or or some prior local irritation which causes itchiness and a subsequent infection, This could respond to antibiotics if the infection is bacterial. Other kind of infections include parasites and fungal infections which are less likely. I would recommend having the area looked at by your veterinarian as it may need either topical or oral antibiotics to treat. Additionally, ensure your dog is on adequate monthly flea prevention and in the interim, you can put an e-collar on your dog to keep the area protected from the licking which could make it worse. Hope this helps and best of luck.

This presentation could be due to a trauma or localized spot of skin infection (likely to be caused by bacteria). A check up, appropriate disinfection and possibly antibiotics (oral, topical or in a shampoo formulation) are needed to solve the problem. Disinfection may be started at home with very diluted hibiscrub or betadine or salted water baths. Buster collar may be useful as well to avoid any licking. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

I would recommend taking Alfie to the vet to have the lump looked at. A wart can become infection however warts are not very common in younger dogs. It is possible Alfie has a skin infection, cyst, non cancerous growth or even an allergic reaction. You can try an over the counter anti histamine but a vet visit would be the best option

It sounds as if your dog has a skin infection, most commonly caused by an allergy, a skin mite (Demodex) or fleas. The allergy could be a due to a protein in your dog’s food or an environmental allergy like to dust, pollens, grasses, etc. The allergy causes your dog to itch and chew at the skin which breaks down the skin barrier. This then leads to infection. Skin infections are typically characterized by large areas of redness, crusting, flaking, and pustules. A thorough skin examination by your veterinarian should be able to determine the cause of the itch so it can be treated appropriately. Your dog will most likely need antibiotics to help clear up the infection and possibly an allergy/anti-itch medication like Apoquel, Atopica, or Cytopoint to give some relief while the infection clears up. A medicated shampoo may be beneficial as well. I would also recommend he be on a good flea control routinely too. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Boop by Petco. Best of luck.

It could be that Alfie's anal sacs are impacted, causing him to lick that area a lot and make the small pink spot. I would have him checked out by a vet for this problem. The vet can diagnose what is causing it, and can treat him for it. If his anal sacs are impacted, the vet can express them. Best of luck, I hope this helps!

It looks like Betsy has a skin infection. If it feels like there is a lump underneath, it could indicate a skin tumor that now has a secondary infection. I would recommend to take her in for an exam. In the mean time, make her wear an Elizabethan collar to protect the area as licking it will make it worse. Wash it with an antibacterial soap and apply a topical antibiotic. I hope this helps!

Thank you for contacting Boop by Petco with your question about Toby and for providing a picture of his lump, it's very helpful. That is quite a big lump, and he will be biting his tail because it's bothering him. This lump could be a cyst, abscess, a benign tumor, or a malignant tumor. Unfortunately I cannot diagnose what it is without seeing him in person. 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 its cells, and examines the cells on a slide under a microscope. It's usually painless to the animal, and relatively quick to perform. Once the cause of the lump is diagnosed, the vet can discuss treatment options if needed. Give his vet a call now to make him an appointment. Until he sees the vet, I would put an Ecollar on him to keep him from biting his tail further. If you don't have one at home already, you can buy one at a pet sto

Any lumps/bumps that you notice on your dog should be checked out by your vet. Lumps are usually one of these things: * abscess (infection) * cyst * tumor/cancer There is no way I can tell you what it is just by looking at a photo but I have a suspicion these are cysts. That being said, usually they don't cause the dog any issues so that fact that he is biting at his tail makes me think he needs to see your vet.

Unfortunately, the photo is very fuzzy and of poor contrast so I am unable to really make much of an assessment out of it. Best guess, it looks like it could have been a self-inflicted wound called a lick granuloma, but this would need to be confirmed by a vet to be certain. If the lesion is getting smaller and is non-painful to the touch, it may not be very concerning since it very well might be resolving on its own. If it is in fact a lick granuloma, the best thing you can do for it is clean it with dilute betadine or chlorhexidine solution, apply some triple antibiotic ointment to it daily, and make sure Eddie has a cone on so he can't lick the area to make it worse. However, the reality is, if you really want to know more information on the origin / cause of the lesion, you are going to need to have a professional take a look at that in person. Hope this makes sense.