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What is this hard lump on my dog's leg that doesn't bother him?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | German Shepherd | Male | unneutered

Just bought a 2 year old male gsd and have found a lump on his rear pastern. Its quite hard and doesnt bother him. What could it be?

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1 Answer

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Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on June 18th, 2018

This lump could be a growth, such as a benign or malignant tumor. It could also be from a previous injury. This is something that should be checked out by a vet, and the vet may want to do x-rays to see if it's due to an old injury, and possibly 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'd call the vet today to make an appointment for Dari to be seen. Best of luck, I hope this helps!

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