My dog has a painful, red, round growth he keeps licking. What is it?

Question

My dog had a small sore, he kept licking it, and now it is larger, red, and very round. He acts like it is painful, and we are trying to keep him from licking it. Is it infected? Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Medium (23 - 60lb) | Male | neutered | 3 years and 10 months old | 53 lbs

Penelope Graben, DVM · Accepted Answer

Hello, This appears to be a skin growth, not a sore or wound. He is likely licking at it because it is bothering him. This growth looks like one of two very common things, but may be something else entirely as well. I would be suspicious of a benign growth called a Histioctyoma, which is something that generally goes away on its own within a few months without intervention. However, Bandit may need a cone to keep himself from traumatizing it while it runs its course. As well, I am also concerned for something called a mast cell tumor, which is unfortunately a type of cancer that can affect both young and old dogs. Mast cell tumors can have a prognoses range from poor to great, entirely depending on the grade of tumor- this can be determined from a surgical biopsy. I would recommend having Bandit seen by his veterinarian soon. They will likely recommend a test called a fine needle aspirate to look at cytology, or the cells under the microscope. This test can generally tell us if we are dealing with one of the two common masses I just mentioned, and then your vet can guide you on the next best step from there. I hope this helps. Best of luck to you and Bandit.

My dog has a painful, red, round growth he keeps licking. What is it?

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