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My dog has a bump on his side. When should I worry and see a vet?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Large (61lb +) | Male | 7 years old | 70 lbs

My 7 year old lab mix has this odd bump on his side, should i be worried?

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Angel Alvarado, LVT

Licensed Veterinary Technician

Published on February 6th, 2017

Not unless it causes pain or impedes motion or breathing. You can monitor it for rapid change or growth. If necessary, your veterinarian can do a simple fine needle aspirate in the clinic to collect a sample for pathology to determine the nature of the lump.

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    Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    I wouldn't be worried, but I would have this bump on Bruno examined by a vet. It could be a cyst, an abscess, a lipoma, a benign tumor, or a malignant tumor. The vet can perform a test called a fine needle aspirate on it. To do this, the vet sticks a small needle into the bump 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 Bruno seen by a vet to have the bump examined and diagnosed so it can be treated.

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