My dog has a new, non-painful lump on her neck. What should I do?

Question

Found a lump on Luckie's nape area, somewhere below her left ear but above shoulder blades. It wasn't there day before last. All her bloodtests (CBC, liver, kidney) were normal except for slightly elevated hemoglobin (vet said she might be a bit dehydrated). It doesn't seem painful to the touch and it moves along with her skin. Vet is not yet available this week. Need advice on what it might be and what to do in the meantime. Pet's info: Dog | Shih Tzu | Female | 9 years old | 12 lbs

Dr. Elizabeth · Accepted Answer

Pets can get many types of lumps and bumps. Most of these tumors will be benign but some will be malignant and you can't tell by looks. Here is a helpful link discussing the various types of skin masses in general: https://www.petcoach.co/article/lumps-and-bumps-on-your-pet/ If the mass seems painful, feels hot or has any type of wound, this could be an infection or abscess. A warm (not hot) compress for 5 minutes every few hours may help. If the above listed signs are absent, it's generally safe to wait to have Luckie examined until the vet is back next week. No treatment is available for home care if this is some sort of a skin tumor or mass. Since you are noticing the sudden appearance and larger size of the mass, I do recommend to have it checked out to be safe. The doctor may recommend to aspirate the mass to examine the cells under a microscope. That is one of the best ways to know what it is and if further action is needed. Hopefully it's nothing serious.

My dog has a new, non-painful lump on her neck. What should I do?

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