Petco Text Logo
Petco Pet Logo

  • Two Easy Ways to Start Earning Rewards!

My dog has a firm leg lump she's licking. Will it go away on its own?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Dutch Shepherd | Female | spayed | 2 years and 9 months old | 60 lbs

Wound on leg, approx 2 in above ankle joint. Garbanzo bean size, firm. About 6 weeks ago began as less well-shaped growth under skin, not fixed to skin. Felt like lipoma, now hard and firm. Today she began licking and nipping it, she has abraided the skin on top of it, whitish area is part of growth she hasn't disturbed. E-collar and neosporin applied. Looks a like granuloma a bit now. Do you think it will resolve on its own? Any idea what caused it, what care do you recommend? Thank you

This question includes photos that may contain sensitive content. Click to view.

View more to consider that the photos may include sensitive content.

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Image profile

Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on April 9th, 2018

Given that this has been ongoing in River for six weeks now, I would say no, this will not likely resolve on its own. It's apparently bothering her as well if she is licking and nipping at it. It could be a benign tumor, a cyst, or less likely a malignant growth causing this lump. I do recommend having her seen by a vet for it because this has been ongoing for a significant period of time, and because it is now bothering her. 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 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. Once the cause of the lump is diagnosed, the vet can discuss treatment options with you. I'd make an appointment for her in the next couple of days. Best of luck!

Vote icon

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Questions

Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My dog has a small lump on the back of her leg, she keeps biting it and licking it. What is this?
It could really be anything without knowing a bit more information. Lumps, especially ones that change over a period of time or seem very irritating are concerning. It could be something as simple as an insect bite or wound if it just appeared. If it has been there a while it could be a cyst or even cancer. Lumps that have been there for a while or are especially bothersome should be checked out by a vet. They can aspirate it with a needle and check the cells inside to find out a cause and possible treatment
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My dog Sassie has a growth on her left leg. And now a growth in the 12:00 position above her anus. The growth on her leg just started bothering her she keeps licking it and now it's irritated. She a bulldog/Terrier mix and about 9-10 years old. She i
Unfortunately it is hard to tell what that lump is just by the picture. I would recommend you take her in to see your vet for an exam and potentially a fine needle aspirate of this lump. A fine needle aspirate is a way to try to exfoliate cells from the lump and look at them under the microscope to try to tell what this lump is. Even if it is a benign lump, she may need to have it removed if she continues to lick it. She also may need topical treatment or potentially antibiotics and/or anti-inflammatories if the lump is infected or causing her pain. I often recommend taking lumps off of legs sooner, as they are easier and generally less expensive to remove and close the skin when they are small. Large lumps on limbs can be quite difficult to remove, as there isn't much additional skin in this area to close over the wound.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
Bella always has licked her paws and sometimes front legs. I noticed tonight it was wet there from licking and checked and noticed a small pea sized lump on her front upper leg. It is redish and soft. I attached pictures that are zoomed in. She does
Anytime a new mass is noticed, I always recommend having it evaluated to see what it is and if anything needs to be done about it. Unfortunately, we can't tell anything about a mass by just looking at it. 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. Skin tumors that have hair growing from them are generally benign, but I always recommend having them checked just to be safe. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Boop by Petco.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My dog has a small pea shaped and sized lump on her back “ankle” joint. On closer inspection it doesn’t appear to be oozing or bleeding nor have a “head” on it. It is whiteish red and the top layer is dry, but not scaby. She’s been licking it a lit
Thanks for using Boop by Petco! This could be a benign or malignant growth. This is often differentiated by a test called a fine needle aspirate (FNA) which is a pain free, inexpensive and easy procedure which in most cases will help reach a diagnosis. Sometimes a biopsy is needed for a definitive diagnosis. I recommend that you have her evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. I am really hoping for something benign. Good luck and have a good day!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
I just noticed this on my dogs ankle when she was licking herself. I'm not sure how long she has had it, & there are no symptoms showing of illness. I thought she was bleeding but she's not. I cleaned the surface & she showed no sign of pain. What is
Thank you for submitting your question regarding Diamond. She appears to have a mass that has grown on her leg. I recommend that she sees her veterinarian to have it evaluated. She will need a procedure known as a fine needle aspirate to determine if the mass is cancerous or not. The veterinarian will use a small needle to collect a sample of cells to evaluate under the microscope. There is a benign growth known as a histiocytoma that is more common in young dogs. There is also an aggressive cancerous mass known as a mast cell tumor that can have the same outward appearance. If it is cancerous, the mass will be difficult to remove given its location. In the meantime, do not allow her to lick the mass. I hope this information helps!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My 3year old (approx) has one large fatty mass and the development of some others primarily on her legs. She is constantly licking the larger one should this be cause for concern
Yes, if it's irritating her, then it's probably best to ask your vet about removing it. If left for too long, the excessive licking can cause a wound and infection. It's best to schedule an appointment for an exam within the next two weeks.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Training & Behavior
My schnoodle has about a quarter size soft, moveable lump under her skin on the under side of her leg. On top, there is a pencil eraser size round hairless area. It doesn't appear infected. It's dry, not oozing anything. I only noticed because she's
This lump could be a cyst, abscess, lipoma, benign tumor, or a malignant tumor. Any suspicious lumps should be examined by 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. Give her vet a call in the morning to make her an appointment. Best of luck.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
Luna has been biting at her hind leg and I noticed this pink bump. Is it something serious?
This kind of lump/growth needs to be ideally assessed by your veterinarian to have a definitive and specific answer. Usually there are two ways your vet can do that a part from examining it directly during physical examination. A biopsy can be taken under local or general anesthetic, otherwise a smaller sample through a fine needle can be aspirated (this technique is called FNA= fine needle aspiration). Differentials include skin cysts, infections, benign or more sinister type of tumors (very unlikely given the age). Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My dog has this lump on his right side that he is continuously licking. He does have a skin condition, where he has black dandruff.
That looks ulcerated. This could be a benign lump, but it could be malignant. Any suspicious lumps should be examined by 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. Give Buddy's vet a call to make him an appointment, and put an Ecollar on him to keep him from licking it. You can get one from a pet store. Best of luck.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Training & Behavior
Hi, I’ve noticed this rash on my dog a few days ago because I’ve seen him licking his leg so I went to buy him this antimicrobial at Petco but he’s still licking his leg what should I do please advise..
Thank you for contacting Boop by Petco with your question about Kibou. Poor boy! That looks like a growth of some kind, and it's clearly bothering him if he keeps licking at it. Any suspicious lumps should be examined by 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. Give his vet a call to make him an appointment. I hope this helps!
Updated on September 24th, 2025

Related Searches

Dog Supplies Dog Health & Wellness Dog Medicine and Prescriptions Dog Allergy Medicine & Itch Relief Antifungal Medication for Dogs Prescription Dog Antibiotics Dog Pain Relief & Arthritis Meds Dog Thyroid Medication & Hormone Care Dog Blood Pressure Medication Prescription Dog Digestive Medications Dermalone Dog Medicine and Prescriptions Lactated Ringers Dog Medicine and Prescriptions Zymox Dog Allergy Medicine & Itch Relief VetriScience Dog Allergy Medicine & Itch Relief Vetnique Labs Dog Allergy Medicine & Itch Relief Lactated Ringers Electrolytes for Dogs Sulfodene Dog Allergy Medicine & Itch Relief Lantus Dog Medicine and Prescriptions DOG by Dr Lisa Vet's Best Dog Allergy Medicine & Itch Relief
image
Have A Vet Question?

Book an appointment with the pros – our expert vets are here to help.

Book Now

Sponsored