Small Lump On Skin

[ILuvAmstaffs]

Last weekend I noticed the hair on Diesels hind leg sticking out in one small area. On further inspection it turns out that it is a small lump that seems to be on the skin, as in it moves with the top layer of skin. It seemed to have a slight scab on the top that fell off today & is skin coloured though when I pull the hair back it is slightly red closer the the bottom. The lump is raised by around 3mm & is around 6mm wide at the base. The lump doesn't seem to be causing any discomfort at all & also doesn't seem to be getting any bigger.

My question is, should I be taking him straight to the vet or give it another week or 2 to see if it gets bigger or even disappears?

Edited April 4, 2010 by ILuvAmstaffs

[Erny]

I don't know what the lump is or caused by, but I have a habit of dabbing any area of redness that I see on my boy's skin with a bit of Calendula Tea. It's antibacterial and anti-inflammatory. I guess I'm just a bit cautious about secondary skin infections, a caution that I've developed only because of Mandela's own skin issues. It potentially isn't necessary for your boy but I can't see it hurting.

I wouldn't be rushing to the Vet if it were me. I'd keep my eye on it for a few days and see whether the lump goes down and whether the redness goes away. That's just me and my unqualified and uneducated opinion.

[ILuvAmstaffs]

Thanks Erny. I'm also inclined to wait because he has had similar lumps before from insect bites though they usually disappear within a week. I've just heard so many bad stories about lumps I would prefer to be over cautious but don't want to be rushing off to the vet only to be told to keep an eye on it & see how it goes. He's also not great with needles, so I know if it needs to be aspirated that they will have to heavily sedate him.

[Erny]

If you use something like Calendula Tea on it and notice the lump pale and potentially reduce, then I think that is likely to give you your answer there is nothing sinister to worry about.

I didn't like to suggest as really, they would just be uneducated guesses, but I initially thought this could just be like an infected pimple or hair follicle, or something from the grass (example : nettle) or such like. I know what you mean about worry though, but if it were me, I'd be doing the above and just keeping an eye on it for the moment. Hopefully it will be something that just disappears

[ILuvAmstaffs]

I will give the Calendula Tea a go. Can I buy it from the supermarket or do I need to head to a health food store?

[Erny]

I've never seen it in the supermarkets - have always purchased from a Health Food Store. Which I expect are closed today. But always worth having it on stand-by so I don't think you'll be wasting your money ($8 approx - 50g bag). Great stuff to keep in your doggy medicine cabinet .

Even if the lump is one that will disappear all on its own, I think it makes us feel better to have done something about it, and I've not know of Calendula Tea doing any harm .

Edited April 5, 2010 by Erny

[Florise]

Sebaceous cyst. prick the top with a needle and squeeze it.

[Erny]

I wouldn't forcibly puncture it. It may well be a Sebaceous Cyst - but my understanding of them is that they can become problematic to the dog when the are opened, allowing infection to get in. Apart from that, I don't think I would be piercing anything unless I had the lump formally diagnosed by a Vet.

On the subject of Sebaceous Cysts though, if that's what it is, I understand that diet and/or frequent washing of the dog can contribute to these forming. They start when excess oil builds up in a hair follicle. Shampooing our dogs strip the skin of natural oils and this in turn elicits a reactionary result of the skin working to produce more oil to replace what has been taken away.

I'm not a Vet though, so my caution against puncturing it might not be one that someone more knowing than I would agree with.

If it is a Sebaceous Cyst, I believe it can be helped with warm compresses.

Edited for spelling.

Edited April 5, 2010 by Erny

[centitout]

I had a sebaceaous cyst right on my throat-kids called it my second head It never caused a problem until i scratched it one night,got infected and blew up to the size of a pea,bloody painful.Had to go on a course of antibiotics and cortisone cream but then it just seemed to disappear after that and i'd had it for 2 years.

I normally use ti-tree oil or paw paw ointment on the dogs cuts,scrapes lumps.

[zola's mum]

Hi, I'm a bit paranoid about lumps at the moment, as the lump that appeared about 6 months ago on my Z turned out to be a Mast Cell Tumour, Grade II. It first appeared similar to an "insect bite" and the vet initially said (when at visit for different reason) , just keep an eye on it. It kept changing, dissapearing and reappearing, and then reached a point where we knew it needed investigating, and now it has been removed (but unfortunately not with a good deep margin). I'm not trying to make you paranoid, but with the benefit of hindsight I wish I had kept a note of when it appeared, dates, how it looked etc. At least with photos you have a good record for observing changes. Not that it would have changed our outcome or timing of treatment, but it would have been easier to give the vets a definitive story rather than "well roughly, and I guess......" Good luck.