Lump on Dog Hip

by Linda
(Ottawa, ontario)

Reader Question: Treatment for Lump on Dog Hip

My dog Bella (Bermise, border collie, 110 lbs, 9 years old) has had a hard lump the size of a plum on the back hip for 6 years, always stayed the same. It never bothered her and still does not today. But the other day it exploded with lots of puss coming out. I also put pressure on it and a white hard head was coming out with more puss, just a little blood not much at all. It’s almost like a white head on a human.

Should I continue to squeeze it out or take her in? I feel like it’s just a huge pimple the needs to come out, although she has had it for 5 years and this is the first time it has pussed this away.

Suggestion from our Veterinarian

Hello,

What a great picture! Bella is beautiful. It’s hard for me to say what might be going on with her lump without having the chance to examine it firsthand, but based on your description, it could be something like a sebaceous cyst or a tumor (usually benign) that is producing keratin, the protein normally found in hair, nails, etc.

If either of these conditions is to blame, the lumps they cause tend to keep reforming and subsequently rupturing. It is usually best to have them removed to prevent discomfort, inconvenience, and the possibility of a secondary bacterial infection.

Your veterinarian should be able to make a treatment plan for Bella after examining her and possibly running a few simple laboratory tests like bloodwork to evaluate her overall health and cytology to identify exactly what type of mass you are dealing with.

Regards,

Jennifer Coates, DVM