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My dog has a lump on her head. Is it serious if it's not a tick?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Border Collie | Female | spayed | 7 years and 9 months old

My dog has a lump on her head which isn’t a tick and I’m very concerned. I read a few articles online but I can’t seem to tell what it is. Can you please help me out Thanks :)

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2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Massimo Orioles, DVM, Cert AVP, MRCVS

Veterinarian

Published on November 3rd, 2019

Hi, and thanks for your question. This lump/bump/growth should be ideally examined by your local vet to have a diagnosis established. Your vet may want to perform an FNA (fine needle aspiration) or a biopsy to sample the bump and determine its underlying nature. Differentials would include skin cysts, infections, benign or more malignant type of tumors. 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. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

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    Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

    Veterinarian

    Published on April 6th, 2019

    This looks like a growth of some sorts. It could be benign, but there is a possibility 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 Mia's vet a call to make her an appointment. Best of luck.

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