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My dog has a swollen paw with a lump. What's wrong and what to do?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Doberman Pinscher | Male | 9 years and 3 months old

My dog has a swelling on his rear leg... Due to a specific mass on bottom of his foot.... What is it and whats the treatment for it.?

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on April 20th, 2019

Without seeing a picture of it or seeing Jack in person, I cannot diagnose that this mass is unfortunately. In a dog his age, however, there is always a chance any mass is a malignant tumor. You will need to take him into 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 its 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 cause of the lump is diagnosed, the vet can discuss treatment options if needed. Best of luck.

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    Answered By Lindsey Edwards MVB, BSc, IVCA

    Veterinarian

    Published on February 17th, 2017

    You must get Dex professionally assessed by a vet as soon as possible. It is not appropriate to treat such a condition at home and surgical procedures to explore and close/drain the mass may only be performed by a licensed veterinarian with appropriate anesthetic and pain relief. It may be necessary to biopsy the area to identify the underlying cause also

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