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My senior Shih Tzu has a dark lump between his nails. Is it cancer?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Shih Tzu | Male | neutered | 12 years and 1 month old | 12 lbs

Found this dark lump between my 12 year old shih tzu nails , he doesn’t like me touching it, but has no other symptoms or changes in habits. I’m concerned it is a carcinoma. are you able to identify it over the picture?

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1 Answer

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Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on April 13th, 2020

It could be malignant, but I cannot diagnose it from a picture. 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 Cookie's vet a call to make him an appointment. I hope this helps!

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