My dog has red shiny paw bumps. Should I monitor them or see a vet?

Question

My 5 year old pitbull has 2 red shiny bumps on the top of his paw next to his nails. As a puppy he had sensitive skin and mites. The bumps dont seem to bother him at all and he hasnt been licking them...which is strange because thats his favorite thing to do. And last week or the week before my girlfriend noticed the first one. Also last month was the first time we let the groomer cut his nails when we dropped off the little dogs to get groomed. Should it just be monitored or go to a vet? Pet's info: Dog | Pit Bull Terrier | Male | unneutered | 5 years and 5 months old | 65 lbs

Dr. Heidi DVM, CVA, CCRT, CVTP, CVSMT, CVCH · Accepted Answer

Red shiny bumps are always worth checking out. Unfortunately, we can see cancerous masses that are red, so I would recommend having your vet evaluate the masses in case they recommend removing them. Unfortunately, we often can't tell anything about a mass by just looking at it, but your vet can perform a simple test called a fine needle aspirate where they use a small needle to collect some cells from the mass, then look at them under the microscope. They may even need to send the cells to the lab for a pathologist to examine them, so we know what the mass is. If it is benign, you might not need to do anything about the mass at all, but if they see cells that worry them, they might recommend removing the mass. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

My dog has red shiny paw bumps. Should I monitor them or see a vet?

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