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My senior dog has a growing, hard lump. Is it a serious health concern?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Small (up to 22lb) | Female | unspayed | 8 years and 5 months old | 7 lbs

My 8 year old mixed Chihuahua has a growth on her butt cheek. It has gotten bigger in the past couple months and now it is harder than it was before. I'm going to take her to the vet soon, just wondering if it is something to worry about?

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Leigh, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on March 1st, 2017

It could just be a benign mass, like a lipoma, but the only way to know for sure is to have your vet take a look at it. Your vet can do a needle aspirate to diagnose and determine if treatment is needed.

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    Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    Unfortunately in a senior dog, a growth that is getting bigger is always a concern. That's because there is a chance it could be a malignant tumor. This growth on Peyton could also be a cyst or a benign tumor. It's a very good idea to have her seen by a vet for this. The vet can perform a test called a fine needle aspirate on it. To do this, the vet sticks a small needle into the growth 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. Once the growth is diagnosed, the vet can discuss treatment options. I would try to have Peyton seen by a vet in the next couple of days.

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