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My dog's sebaceous neck cyst shrank. Did it burst? Is it dangerous?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Small (up to 22lb) | Female | spayed | 10 years and 9 months old | 22 lbs

My fox terrier x chihuahua 10 year old female dog has had a sebaceous cyst on her neck the past 2 years that I occasionally have drained when it’s too large. The vets have told me I don’t need to have it drained as it’s not dangerous, but I do as I don’t like her having this large cyst there. It’s blown up again this past few weeks so I was planning to take her in, but I just checked it & it seems to have drastically reduced in size and be soft in that area when normally large. Burst? Dangerous?

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on May 2nd, 2018

It's possible that Kinta's cyst has burst internally and drained there. That can happen and it's not dangerous. As you can see, cysts can and do refill again, and the only way to stop that from happening is to have the cyst sac removed surgically. When you bring her into the vet, you can discuss having the cyst removed surgically to prevent it from refilling. Best of luck, I hope this helps!

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