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My dog has a hard lump behind her ear. What is it and is it serious?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Border Collie | Female | unspayed | 2 years old | 40 lbs

My 1 year old border collie has a hard lump behind her ear that was not there last night. It doesn't appear to bother her at all. I'm really worried as to what it could be. Will it affect her health

4 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Leigh, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on January 1st, 2017

It could be an infection, cysts, or a mass. Marley should be examined by a vet to determine the exact cause. Your vet can do a fine needle aspirate to determine if it needs to be treated. If it is just a benign lump, your vet may want to just monitor it for changes.

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    Answered By Megan, DVM, CVA

    Veterinarian

    Published on September 5th, 2017

    It sounds like it could be a growth under his skin. A mass can be benign or malignant. I would have your vet look at it and do an aspirate to look at the cells under the microscope. Your vet will be able to tell you whether it needs to be surgically removed or just monitored closely. I hope this helps!

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    Answered By Sara Farmer, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on May 21st, 2017

    A lump like you describe could be an abscess, allergic reaction (like to an insect bite/sting) or a skin mass. If it is not bothering her too much you can probably wait to see your veterinarian when they open. If it is getting significantly larger, if you see any discharge, or if she becomes painful I would recommend seeing a veterinarian today.

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    Answered By Dr. Massimo Orioles, DVM, Cert AVP, MRCVS

    Veterinarian

    Published on April 19th, 2017

    This lump could be due to a aural hematoma, an accumulation of fluid/blood in between the cartilage of the ear and the skin, or due to a proper solid lump/growth. In this latter case this lump/growth needs to be ideally assessed by your veterinarian to have a definitive and specific answer. Usually there are two ways your vet can do that a part from examining it directly during physical examination. A biopsy can be taken under local or general anesthetic, otherwise a smaller sample through a fine needle can be aspirated (this technique is called FNA= fine needle aspiration). Differentials include skin cysts, infections, benign or more sinister type of tumors. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation (where you can post pictures ) if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

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