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My dog has a red lump with black dots. Is it a cyst or wart?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Lhasa Apso | Male | unneutered | 9 years and 4 months old

I noticed this lump whilst grooming my dog, it is approx 2cm in width and 1cm in height. A little red but mainly looks just like a lump with little black dots on. What could this be?

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2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Strydom, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on May 30th, 2019

This looks like either a cyst or a papilloma wart. Both very common and benign. Unfortunately, our system is having a glitch and I can't enlarge the photo so I can't get a great look but I'm pretty confident it's not much to be concerned with. Personally, I would not be worried about it at all. Just point it out to your vet at Gizmo's next exam.

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    Answered By Dr. Strydom, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on April 23rd, 2020

    Hello, thank you for using PetCoach! Any lumps/bumps that you notice on your dog should be checked out by your vet. Lumps can be any of these things: * abscess (infection) * cyst * cancer (benign or malignant) * wart Unfortunately, there is no way I can tell you what it is with 100% certainty just based on your description or by looking at a photo but if I had to guess, I would say it is a benign histiocytoma. If it is a histiocytoma, it should go away on it's own within a few weeks to a month or so. Of course, if it doesn't, he definitely needs to see a vet. https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4952066 Hope this helps. Best wishes!

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