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My dog has a red bump on his paw that's getting worse. Should I worry?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Boxer | Male | neutered | 10 years and 9 months old | 65 lbs

Hello, My 10 year old boxer had a red bump pop up on his outer paw about 2 weeks ago. It has seemed to have gotten worse. He doesn’t lick at it and it doesn’t seem to bother him. My husband thinks he got bit by something, but I want to make sure it’s nothing alarming. The pictureS are dated.

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2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Elizabeth

Veterinarian

Published on October 8th, 2019

I recommend to have Johnson examined by his veterinarian. Skin masses can be many things but red raised masses are especially concerning for a skin cancer called a Mast Cell tumor. Your veterinarian will need to collect a sample of cell to examine under the microscope to determine what this is and if further treatment is needed. Have this checked out soon.

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Dr. Elizabeth

    Veterinarian

    Published on January 20th, 2019

    I recommend to take Baxter to see his veterinarian. While most skin masses are benign, masses that a red/pink, hairless and raised are a concern for a malignant skin tumor called a Mast Cell tumor. However, not all masses meeting this appearance are that type of cancer. Just like with a human, the doctor will likely take a sample of the mass or remove the mass entirely and microscopically exam it. Thats the only way to know what it is accurately. There's also a concern because it is quite large and if it needs to be removed, there is not a lot of extra skin in that location. I recommend to get him seen asap. I hope this helps to point you in the right direction. Please feel free to post any further questions!

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