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My dog has a fleshy lump under armpit, no pain. Should I see a vet?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Staffordshire Bull Terrier | Male | neutered | 8 years and 3 months old

My 9 year old Staffordshire bull terrier has a fleshy lump under his armpit about 4cms long it's not red or inflamed and isn't causing him any discomfort. He is eating and drinking normally and exercising everyday as usual with no difficulty at all. Need advice as to what it might be and should I see a vet

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on February 14th, 2017

There are a couple of things this lump could be on Titan. It could be a cyst, an access, a lipoma, 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 Titan seen by a vet today or tomorrow to have the lump examined and diagnosed so it can be treated if needed.

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    Answered By Debi Matlack

    Veterinary Technician

    Published on

    The lump you are seeing is very possibly a lipoma. These are benign fatty tumors that are not uncommon on older dogs. It’s best to have them checked by your vet to make sure they aren’t something more serious. Lipomas generally are not removed unless they impede movement or are located in an area where they could become irritated or injured. If you dog requires any anesthetic procedure in the future, such as a dental cleaning, the lipoma can be removed at that time, getting two procedures done with one anesthetic event and thereby reducing the risk.

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