Did you notice a lump or a bump on your dog’s skin while bathing them? As a dedicated dog parent, that must have distressed you. According to Argos Pet Insurance, lumps and bumps are common in dogs. Your dog might have more under their fur as well, which you failed to notice. Should you panic? Well, some are harmless, while some can pose serious health issues.
However, if you still want to clear your doubts and see your dog healthy, read this blog. We will discuss the important details regarding lumps and bumps on your dog’s skin, including their signs, symptoms, causes, and more. This will give you a much better idea of how to manage the situation and ensure your furry friend’s well-being.
What Are Lumps and Bumps?
Before we straightaway head towards the signs, it is important for you to learn what are lumps and bumps. Basically, these are any abnormal growths or changes in your dog’s skin appearance or texture. Are all lumps and bumps similar? No, they can be big or small and have different shapes, colours, and even locations. Plus, you might come across raised, flat, firm, or soft lumps or bumps as well. Over here, the only thing you should be careful of is if you observe any type of bumps far from looking normal, then you must take your dog to the vet to address the lump.
What Are Some Common Types Of Lumps and Bumps?
The thing is that there are not one or two, but several types of lumps and bumps, which you as a concerned dog parent should know. Some of the most common types are listed below:
Lipomas
First on the list are lipomas. The good news is that these are benign, meaning non-cancerous fatty tumours. Lipomas are often present in older dogs, mostly found under their skin, and feel soft and rubbery. Furthermore, don’t get upset looking at their size as they can grow large, causing your dog a little discomfort and disturbing their normal walking style.
Sebaceous Cysts
Then, you have Sebaceous cysts as well, which are closed sacs, but filled with sebum. What is sebum? It is an oily substance that the sebaceous glands in your dog’s skin produce. How do they appear? You will find these cysts to be smooth, raised and sometimes infected or swelled up too.
Histiocytomas
Histiocytomas are again benign in nature. To be precise, these are tumours of the histiocytes which are a kind of immune cell. You will witness them more in younger dogs’ legs or faces as raised, button-like and alone on the spot. If you think your dog has it, then you need not panic as they finish on their own.
Warts
In the list of common types of lumps and bumps, you have warts as well. The scientific term for this particular bump is “Papillomas”. How are these caused? The answer is by virus. Then, warts are small in size and have cauliflower-like growths that often are in your dog’s mouth, around their eyes, and on paws. The fearsome part is that papillomas can quickly spread amongst dogs. Hence, if you found a similar growth in your dog’s case, then it is suggested to keep them away from other dogs in your area.
Abscesses
Is it the first time you have seen this term? Then, let us tell you that these emerge as pockets of pus that the bacterial infections cause. This bump often leads to forming a bite wound or foreign object. And yes they are painful, red, and will look swollen too. Therefore, if you felt pus on your hand, then chances are that your dog has abscesses.
Hives
Your dog can attract hives as well. What are these? These are red welts in raised formation on your furry fellow’s skin appearing due to allergic reactions. Furthermore, “urticaria” can also happen because of food, insect bites, medications, or environmental factors. It might be possible that your dog ate something they were not supposed to or some insect bit them.
Tumours
Tumours can be quite tricky because “neoplasms” can be both cancerous and non-cancerous too. Plus, these also have their separate types. What are they? Let’s see:
Mast Cell Tumors
Mast cell tumours are known to be the most common harmful skin tumours formed in dogs. These carry the potential to vary in appearance and behaviour as they can upset you from growing slowly to becoming aggressive really fast.
Squamous Cell Carcinomas
Then, there are Squamous cell carcinomas. These are again malignant and happen to develop from the skin’s squamous cells. How are they visually? You will notice them to be raised, ulcerated lesions, and they can grow in the dog’s body parts that easily receive sunlight.
Melanomas
Melanocytes are pigment-producing cells that are responsible for the growth of Melanomas. These can be either malignant or benign. If your dog has a malignant melanoma bump on their skin, then you will find them to be highly aggressive. Therefore, rush to the vet so they can address the issue as soon as possible.
How To Identify The Signs and Symptoms?
While the lump or bump itself stands as evidence, there are a bunch of signs and symptoms that can offer you much-needed clues for you to identify the emergency:
Grows Rapidly
If you observe that the size of the bump or lump suddenly increases, don’t wait for any further signal; contact your vet immediately.
Changes in Color
Was the bump’s colour normal in the morning, and did it become redder by evening? Have you noticed anything weird about the texture? If yes, then that is dangerous, and you must take your dog to the vet.
Pain or Discomfort
Were you touching your dog and they reacted as if in pain? Well, that is a pure indication that there is a lump or bump on their skin and your furry fellow is requesting you not to touch them there at least. As a responsible dog parent, you must put an end to their discomfort.
Itching or Scratching
Do you find your dog scratching or licking a particular part of the body way more than they habitually do? Then, most probably, there is a lump or bump over there, and your furry buddy is doing it to offer themselves some relief. Instead of waiting for their scratching to end, pick them up and consult your vet. They can examine their bump and tell you how to deal with it.
Hair Loss
You will see bald patches on your dog’s body, particularly around the lump. That is another symptom of that bump. Hence, you must not delay and seek guidance from your vet to see your furry companion happy again with proper hair on their body.
Systemic Symptoms
Besides the main symptoms, there are systemic symptoms as well. Your dog will be less active, and it won't eat its favourite food, resulting in drastic weight loss and fever. Therefore, if your dog shows any of these signs, then that is the lump or bump making your buddy ill. So, take them to the vet instead of allowing something more serious to occur, leaving you in regret.
What Causes These Lumps and Bumps To Appear On Dogs?
You must be wondering what actually causes these lumps and bumps to appear on dogs. There are multiple causes that make your furry fellow feel miserable, compelling you to quickly visit your vet. They are as follows:
Genetics
Yes, even genes tend to play their role in this situation. For instance, according to the Blue Cross, dog breeds such as Labradors, Cocker Spaniels, Weirmaraners, Dachsunds, Doberman Pinschers, Shetland Sheepdogs, and Miniature Schnuazers are more prone to get lipomas as compared to other dog breeds.
Age
Age is another cause. Because, when dogs grow old, they become more vulnerable to specific lump growth. To be precise, you will see them with lipomas.
Exposure To The Sun
As much as sunlight benefits your body, it proves to be harmful for your doggy. The thing is that exposing them to the sun for several hours can also boost the danger of skin cancer. Hence, if walking or doing yoga under the sunlight with your dog is a part of your routine, then we suggest you shift the practice indoors. In this way, you can protect your dog from sun exposure and reduce the chances of skin cancer, too.
Infections
Infections are never a good sign. Whether bacterial, fungal, or viral, they always cause issues. In your dog’s case, they can also lead to skin lesions. Therefore, be cautious on your end, and if it spreads, don’t take it lightly; contact your vet.
Allergies
We explained above as well that allergic reactions are also one of the culprits behind lump and bump growth in your dog’s skin. These are usually in the shape of hives or other skin issues that will make you say something is fishy about this lump.
Trauma
If your dog was part of some kind of traumatic experience, such as a dog fight or some bees stung them, then you have caught your dog’s enemy. Trauma from these things can result in abscesses or even other related skin reactions. Therefore, take your pet to the vet so they can give you the necessary medications.
Hormonal Issues
Besides external issues, internal problems such as hormonal issues can also result in lumps or bumps. You never know if your dog is dealing with one or a few of them. So it’s best that you schedule an appointment with your vet and get them checked.
Weak Immune System
A weak immune system can lead to various issues. If your dog’s immunity is compromised, it may develop bumps, lumps, and other skin infections. Therefore, reach out to your vet for advice on how to manage your dog’s skin problems.
How Will The Vet Diagnose The Lumps Or Bumps?
You will need a vet to diagnose the lumps or bumps. They will do a thorough examination while making the most out of the following diagnostic tests:
Physical Examination
The vet will begin the process with a detailed physical examination. Here, the doctor will be very careful in examining the bump or lump. They will see the size, exact location, texture, shape, and any other important characteristics. After that, your vet will let you know whether it is a matter of concern or not.
Fine Needle Aspiration
Then. there is fine needle aspiration as well. What happens here is that your vet will use a small needle to collect a few cells from the lump. These cells will be placed under their microscope for further analysis. The test helps the vet differentiate between multiple types of skin growths.
Biopsy
You must have heard about biopsies but might not know what exactly happens here. It’s a straightforward biopsy test, where your vet surgically removes a small tissue as a sample. That is further sent to the laboratory for an in-depth microscopic analysis. Biopsy becomes necessary for definitive diagnosis, particularly for tumours. Hence, they might do the same with your dog to get accurate results.
Blood Tests
Not forgetting to mention that there are blood tests to serve the diagnosis purpose as well. Your vet might perform a few as that can help them do a better analysis of your furry friend’s health and detect serious medical conditions. The results will assist them in explaining to you if your dog should go ahead with surgery or not.
Imaging
Your vet may proceed with imaging. In simple words, it means X-rays and ultrasound. The visuals let them pinpoint and understand how much the lump on your dog’s body spread and whether it will finish on its own. Plus, the X-rays of your dog will help you as an owner to learn what is troubling your pal.
Ways To Treat Lumps
Your vet will start the treatment depending on the kind of bump or lump diagnosed in your dog’s situation. But if you are still curious to know about the common treatment methods, then they are as follows:
Monitor
Your vet might simply ask you to monitor your dog, especially if your dog has benign lumps like lipomas. Therefore, just see on a regular basis and call your vet if you spot something weird.
Surgery
Surgery is another common treatment. It can remove lumps, such as cysts, tumours, and abscesses. Your vet might suggest that you admit your furry fellow for the procedure.
Cryotherapy
Are you new to this treatment method? In cryotherapy, your vet simply freezes the lump on your dog’s body with the help of liquid nitrogen. This approach is effective for certain kinds of growths, particularly warts.
Laser Therapy
Yes, laser therapy is one of these common treatment methods. The vet uses this technique to remove lumps with minimum blood loss and scarring. Therefore, your vet may recommend laser therapy for your dog.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is scary as it is done to treat malignant tumours. If your dog’s bump is in that category, then your vet may move forward with this approach to stop the cancer from spreading ahead.
Radiation Therapy
If you want your dog’s cancer cells to be destroyed, then your vet might suggest radiation therapy. In this treatment, the radiations specifically target and kill those cancer-causing cells. And then you will see your dog comfortable and play with you like old times.
Medications
Apart from traditional methods, there are some medications as well. These are available in the form of antifungals and antibiotics. Your vet might ask you to buy these to treat your dog’s skin infections and inflammatory conditions. Hence, follow your vet’s instructions and your dog is good to go.
How To Prevent These Skin Infections?
The sad part is that all skin lumps or bums cannot be prevented. However, you can still take a few steps to reduce the risk. What are those? Let’s uncover:
Check Skin Regularly
Make it a habit to check your dog’s skin regularly. This will help you spot any new lumps or bumps on your furry partner’s skin. And can save your dog from life-threatening results.
Limit Sun Exposure
As mentioned above, too much sunlight increases the risk of skin cancer. Therefore, try your best to limit your dog’s sun exposure. Avoid going out with them during peak hours, and apply dog-friendly sunscreen to their body parts.
Maintain Their Weight
You must reduce your dog’s daily food intake to maintain their weight. Because, if you don’t then your dog will become fat, which again elevates the risk of growth of bumps. Therefore, replace heavy meals with a balanced diet full of essential vitamins. In this way, they will have no skin issues and their immunity system will also become stronger.
Conclusion
We aim for this blog to equip you with valuable insights on dog skin lumps and bumps. With this knowledge, you should be able to identify different types of bumps and promptly reach out to your vet if you notice any changes.
