What's this firm, scaly lump on my dog's leg that she keeps chewing?

Question

My dog has this on her back leg. It showed up about a week ago and she does mess with it and chew on it. When I touch it she’s not in pain just irritated I’m messing with it. It is firm/scaly to the touch. Any idea as to what it could be. Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Large (61lb +) | Female | spayed | 2 years and 11 months old | 100 lbs

Dr. Elizabeth · Accepted Answer

That looks like a mass from the photos. It could also be a very thickened, inflamed lesion. It’s impossible to know what it is without being able to palpate it. Regardless, I recommend to take Neenie in to see her veterinarian within the next few days. A mass that looks like this could be something benign like a histiocytoma but it could also be a malignant skin tumor called a Mast cell tumor. An infected foreign body lodged in the skin or a deep fungal infection could also present this way. That is good that it doesn’t hurt her, but that does not mean that this lesion is not something potentially serious. You definitely want to keep her from licking or chewing at the lesion as this may make it worse. Have her wear an Elizabethan collar at all times to prevent this behavior. The doctor will likely need to aspirate a small sample of cells to look under the microscope to get an accurate diagnosis. Hopefully this is nothing serious and hopefully this is helpful. Please feel free to post any additional questions.

What's this firm, scaly lump on my dog's leg that she keeps chewing?

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