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What's this growing lump on my dog's muzzle? Is it serious?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed | Male | neutered | 3 years old | 30 lbs

What could this be? Should I be concerned? It seems to be getting bigger

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1 Answer

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Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on May 7th, 2023

Thank you for the picture, it's very helpful. Unfortunately without seeing Kobe in person, I cannot say for certain what this is on his muzzle, but I can make a few educated guesses. First off, it could be a histiocytoma. That is a benign tumor that in their early stage grows rapidly. Typically these spontaneously regress. It could also be a cyst, an infected hair follicle, or another type of benign growth. Because it is growing rapidly, it should be checked out by his vet to be safe. 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. I recommend giving his vet a call to make him an appointment. I hope this helps!

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2Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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Can you tell me what this growth is on my dogs nose? He's UTD on his vaccinations and is 3 years old. It doesn't seem to hurt him but it has grown in size. It doesn't feel like there's fluid in it.
Thank you for submitting your question regarding Milo. I recommend that he sees his veterinarian. He will need a procedure known as a fine needle aspirate. The veterinarian will use a small needle to take a sample from the bump. The cells will be evaluated under the microscope to determine the type of mass. A common growth is a benign mass called a histiocytoma. It is not usually a problem and will go away within several months. A mast cell tumor, on the other hand, can look similar, but is a cancerous growth. The cells need to be evaluated determine if treatment is needed. I hope this information helps.
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Is this bump on my dog’s nose a concern?
It looks like this lump could simply be a benign tumor, but that's impossible to say without seeing the dog in person. 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. I'd give your dog's vet a call to set up an appointment for sometime this week. I hope this helps!
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My dog has a bump on his lip. I wasn’t concerned when I first saw it because it was small and it looked like a scar from playing with the other dogs. But it has gotten bigger. I don’t know if it’s filled with liquid but it seems mostly solid to touch
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Thank you for submitting your question regarding Bruno. When I see a red, raised and hairless mass such as his, there are two conditions that worry me. The first is a benign growth known as a histiocytoma. This is more common in young dogs and will usually spontaneously regress with a few months. The other consideration is a mast cell tumor. This is an aggressive form of skin cancer. Your veterinarian will be able to diagnose the mass by a procedure known as a fine needle aspirate. Cells are collected from the bump and evaluated under the microscope. Once a diagnosis is made, treatment can be pursued if necessary. I hope this information helps!
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This kind of lump/growth needs to be ideally assessed by your veterinarian to have a definitive and specific answer. Usually there are two ways your vet can do that a part from examining it directly during physical examination. A biopsy can be taken under local or general anesthetic, otherwise a smaller sample through a fine needle can be aspirated (this technique is called FNA= fine needle aspiration). Differentials include skin cysts, infections, benign or more sinister type of tumors. 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.
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My dog had this growth pop up about 2 months ago, and now its grown by quite a lot. I have no idea what it is, and I am in a tough spot financially. Can you offer some advice?
This lump/growth should be ideally examined by your veterinarian to have a definitive diagnosis. Your vet will examine it and possibly perform with an FNA (fine needle aspiration) or a biopsy. Differentials would include skin cyst, infections or benign or malignant type of tumors (very unlikely given the age). I can say it looks like a benign skin tumor papilloma-like, but unfortunately only a check up can give you a final verdict. 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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