Petco Text Logo
Petco Pet Logo

My dog has a berry-like lump on his leg. Could it be skin cancer?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Bernese Mountain Dog | Male | neutered | 8 years and 2 months old | 105 lbs

Hi. I have an 8 year old Bernese Mountain Dog. Tonight we noticed an ugly berry looking thing on the inside of his front leg about 3 inches above his paw. It looks like skin cancer or something. He wasn't licking or chewing it. Any ideas?

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

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

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Image profile

Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on July 27th, 2020

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Bentley and for providing a picture, it's very helpful. This may be a histiocystoma, which is benign tumor that typically goes away on its own. Unfortunately I cannot say for sure without seeing him in person. Because there is a change any lump in a dog his age could be cancerous, I would get it checked out by a vet to be safe. Give his vet a call in the morning to make him an appointment. I hope this helps!

Vote icon

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

  • Image profile

    Answered By Debi Matlack

    Veterinary Technician

    Published on November 24th, 2020

    It doesn't look very dramatic, but since it just seemed to pop up, I recommend getting it checked by your vet. It could be a scar or an unknown injury, it could be a growth of some kind, there's no way to know without getting a vet to investigate. Your vet will do an exam, some lab work, and based on these results will be better able to tell you what it is and how best to treat, if it needs treatment.

    Vote icon

    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

See More Answers

Related Questions

Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My kelpie x border collie had a small bright red lump on his back right leg, up near his tail. He has clearly popped it but since then he has been constantly licking the area and all of the hair in the area has gone. Do you know what this could be?
Hi, thanks for using Boop by Petco! Sadly a lot of skin masses can look the same. It could be a Mast Cell tumor (which is a cancerous growth that should be removed and biopsied), a cyst, a histiocytoma (though he is a bit old for that, they end to occur in younger dogs). Any skin bumps that is new, rapidly grows, changes or is possibly infected should be checked by a Vet. They can decide whether it should be aspirated and sent to the lab or removed surgically to send the entire specimen for biopsy. I hope this helps and I wish Boston the very best!
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
I’m just wondering if this is skin cancer on my dog or what it is. Any help would be greatly appreciated. She’s a 9 month old husky mastiff
It is hard to see a growth from the picture. It looks like an area of hairloss. If it is raised and seems like a growth it is most likely a histiocytoma. These are benign growths in young dogs that grow big and ugly and then disappear. I would have your veterinarian take an aspirate of it to confirm that is what it is. Thank you for using Boop by Petco.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
New Pet
We got our dog, Bella, a few months ago. When we adopted her we were aware of this little skin thing on the back of her leg, but she chewed on it a little while back and ever since then it seems to be growing and getting angrier looking. She hasn’t c
That pink mass could be something completely benign or it could be a cancerous tumor called a Mast Cell Tumor. Just like with humans, you often can’t tell by looking. The problem with Mast Cell Tumors is that they can look like anything. I recommend to have Bella visit her veterinarian and have the mass aspirated. This will collect a small sample of cells and this will tell you what it is and if further action is needed. Even benign tumors can become inflamed, especially if Bella is chewing in it. It’s always better to be safe than sorry. Hopefully it’s nothing serious! I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
Hi I found a black lump on my dogs rear right leg about 3-4 months ago and I took her to the vet and they said it could be cancerous or it could be something as simple as a wart so they said to keep an eye on it and make sure it doesn’t change at all
Thanks for using Boop by Petco! This could be a benign or malignant growth. There is no way of knowing for sure without an examination though this represents a reason to seek veterinary care. This is usually determined with an examination and a fine needle aspirate (FNA) or a biopsy. Treatment depends on the findings up to that point. I recommend you have Maddy evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Good luck and have a good night!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
This is on my 16 month old Golden Retrievers back right leg, how concerned should I be as the nearest bet is 2 hours away? Is it an ingrown hair or a bite of some sort or something else? It is about the size of a large pea. It doesn't seem to be both
Thank you for submitting the pictures of Chewie's leg. It appears like he has a mass growing on it. I do recommend he sees his veterinarian to have it evaluated. Typically a procedure known as a fine needle aspirate is performed. Cells are collected and the veterinarian looks at them under the microscope. The goal is to determine if the mass is potentially cancerous or not. There are two common skin masses that can look like Chewie's. One is a cancerous mass known as a mast cell tumor. This can be an aggressive form of skin cancer and would need to be surgically removed. The other is a benign skin growth known as a histiocytoma. This mass doesn't usually cause problems and can regress on its own over 2-3 months. I hope this helps!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My dogs skin is getting darker he’s had mouth cancer before.Does the change of skin colour mean he’s getting skin cancer. He’s also got a lump on his head.
Thanks for using Boop by Petco! This does not mean that he is getting cancer necessarily. It could be a change in pigmentation. The lump may be a benign or malignant growth. This could even be an infection. This cannot be completely assessed just by looking at pictures or a description and usually requires sampling such as fine needle aspiration to determine its origin. Sometimes a biopsy is needed for a definitive diagnosis. I recommend that you have him 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
Hello, can someone give me an idea as to what is wrong with my dogs leg?
Hello. It is difficult to say definitively, but this does look like a small tumor. It is best to have a veterinarian look to make sure as if it needs to be removed, doing so while it is so small is often very curative. Hopefully, it is not anything serious & thanks fir using Boop by Petco.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My dog has a red lump on his leg, near his foot.
Thank you for contacting Boop by Petco with your question about Buddy. This lump could be a growth, either benign or 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 his vet a call to make him an appointment. I hope this helps!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
Hello, I noticed my cattle dog had this sore on her hind leg today. It doesn't seem to bother her shes not limping or showing any signs of discomfort. I can touch it and it doesn't seem to bother her
Thanks for using Boop by Petco! This could be a benign or malignant growth. There is no way of knowing what it is just based on its appearance. 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 night!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
image
Have A Vet Question?

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

Book Now

Sponsored