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My older dog's bump is growing. Is it serious? When to see a vet?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Treeing Walker Coonhound | Male | neutered | 9 years and 3 months old | 70 lbs

Is something wrong here? My dog normally has a wilder bump there but it seems to have gotten bigger.

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2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on December 28th, 2019

That is concerning, and in a dog Happy's age, that can be caused by something serious like a malignant tumor. 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.

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    Answered By Susan England-Foster

    Veterinarian

    Published on June 16th, 2017

    Most times these bumps are benign (not cancer) and not harmful to the patient. However for confirmation I would take to a vet for an aspirate of the mass. This is where they look at cells under the microscope.

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