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What to do if my dog has a spreading lump and I can't afford a vet?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | American Pit Bull Terrier | Female | spayed | 4 years and 9 months old | 70 lbs

HELP PLEASE!!! I don’t know what my dog has it was a lump but it spread all over her leg . I don’t know what to do and don’t have much money to take her to the vet what can I do !

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2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Strydom, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on September 27th, 2019

Wow, that is really serous. I'm so sorry but this looks like a pretty serious cancer. Some other possibilities of what it could be are a severe bacterial infection, fungal infection, granuloma, autoimmune disease, etc. There is no way for us to diagnose this over the internet. I guarantee you there is nothing you can do at home to fix this. She needs to see a vet ASAP. I understand you have financial constraints but it is not a reason to neglect the health of your pet. I don't mean to sound harsh but having a pet is a privilege, not a right. This is only going to get worse, not better. Here are some things you can do to try and find funding to get her seen by a vet. 1. Care Credit: ( https://www.carecredit.com/vetmed/ ) 2. Find a low cost/affordable veterinary clinic in your area. With a simple Google search I found this one right away. There may be more. Just do some research. ( https://aawl.org/node/143 ) 3. Refer to this link of organizations that help people with veterinary care. ( https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/are-you-having-trouble-affording-your-pet#Michigan )

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Dr. Elizabeth

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    Unfortunately, without diagnostics, it's impossible to know what this is. Certainly at home, keep it clean, dry and protected from licking or scratching. Princess may need to wear an elizabethan collar at all times. Keep her indoors and on soft surfaces so not to damage the tissue. To figure out what it is, she needs either an aspirate or a biopsy. Pets can get many types of lumps and bumps. Most of these tumors will be benign but some will be malignant and you can't tell by looks. The fact that the mass has spread is concerning for an aggressive tumor but it's impossible to know without being able to examine the cells. Here is a helpful link discussing the various types of skin masses in general: https://www.petcoach.co/article/lumps-and-bumps-on-your-pet/ You may look into financing through Care Credit or Scratch Pay (information can be found on their websites). You may also call the local humane society to ask if they know of any low cost clinics in your area. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

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