Content
- Lump in dog head - causes
- ticks:
- warts:
- Allergic dermatitis from flea bites, other insects and toxic plants:
- Bruises:
- abscesses:
- sebaceous cysts:
- Histiocytomas:
- Lipomas:
- Malignant skin tumors:
- Diagnosis
- Lump in the dog's head - how to treat it?
When you visualize or feel a lump in your puppy's head, many questions and fears arise. How did it come about? Is it a tumor? Does it have a cure?
Lumps can be due to many types of causes and factors. They vary in benignity and malignancy, size, color, shape, location, and even the type of treatment needed.
If you have identified one or more lumps on your pet's head, you should take him to the veterinarian so he can analyze these lumps and identify the problem.
In this PeritoAnimal article we will try to answer all your questions about lump in the dog's head: what can be.
Lump in dog head - causes
If you're wondering: a lump appeared in my dog's head, now what? To answer this question, it is important to know what are the most common causes of lumps in the head of dogs:
ticks:
Despite being more common in areas with more hair, these parasites can lodge in the skin of the dog's head and form a bump that can be mistaken for a lump. It is important to remove them whole, that is, including the mouth, as it can remain on the animal's skin, originating lumps called granulomas which are more serious to resolve.
warts:
They are caused by a papillomavirus and tend to appear in animals with the weaker immune system like puppies or old dogs. They look like a "cauliflower" and usually regress and disappear alone after a few months. If you noticed a lump on the head of a puppy, it may be a wart, as it is very common to appear in puppies in mucous membranes, such as the gums, inside the mouth or regions such as the nose, lips and eyelids. In older dogs, however, it can appear anywhere on the body, particularly between the fingers and belly.
Allergic dermatitis from flea bites, other insects and toxic plants:
This type of allergic reaction appears in the form of small nodules in regions with little hair, such as the muzzle, head or fingers, causing irritation to the skin and itching in the region of the lump.
Bruises:
When trauma occurs, the animal can form a painful lump of blood. Its location varies depending on the location of the trauma.
abscesses:
Due to poorly cured infections or bite wounds, this type of nodule, made up of blood and pus inside, can have different sizes depending on the severity of the infection.
sebaceous cysts:
Pastas benign similar to pimples resulting from the blockage of sebaceous glands (glands found near the hair and which produce a substance rich in oils that lubricates the skin, called sebum).
Histiocytomas:
tumors benign small, of Red color and stiff consistency that are common in puppies and usually settle on the head, ears or legs, disappearing on their own over time. This is another common example of a lump in the head of puppy.
Lipomas:
Accumulated deposits of fat that form lumps under the skin, especially in obese and/or elderly dogs. they are usually harmless and surgery is only recommended to remove them if they are causing any discomfort to the animal.
Malignant skin tumors:
Usually, they come up very quickly and to the tutor it will look like it's a wound that never heals. As a rule, this type of nodules comes last when it comes to puppies, on the other hand, in the elderly it is one of the most likely diagnoses. The important thing is that the identification is done at an early stage of the tumor, so that it can act as soon as possible and make the proper treatment, so that it does not spread to the rest of the body, since some tumors are so aggressive that they can metastasize (spread to other tissues of the body) and cause serious consequences.
Diagnosis
As we have seen, lumps in dogs can be very varied, so the diagnosis will have to be rigorous to identify which type of lump it is.
It's important that you make a good history from the dog's entire life to your veterinarian, such as eating habits, vaccination protocol, access to the street or plants at home and, equally or more importantly, the core characteristics: color, shape, size, if it is painful to touch, when it appeared or how it evolves.
After all these questions, the vet will assess the lump in the dog's head and do some more complementary exams that it deems necessary for the definitive diagnosis:
- Aspiration cytology
- Blade printing
- Biopsy (collection of tissue sample or removal of the entire mass)
- X-ray and/or ultrasound
- Computed tomography (CAT) or magnetic resonance (MR)
Lump in the dog's head - how to treat it?
The next step after diagnosis is the discussion of all treatment options.
O treatment will depend on the severity of the situation., as certain lumps do not need treatment and regress by themselves, but others will need treatment.
If drugs are prescribed, the doctor will tell you how to proceed and what precautions to take.
In case it is ticks or flea bite allergy the best is an effective antiparasitic that eliminates these parasites.
You abscesses they are drained and disinfected and cleaned with antiseptic or antibacterial substances so that they do not form again.
In case of confirmation, or even just suspicion, of malignant tumor, it is recommended your total removal surgical procedure, before it can lead to more serious consequences for the rest of the body. Usually recommended chemotherapy or radiotherapy after tumor removal to prevent tumor reappearance.
If the lump is not removed, it is important to be aware of possible changes.
This article is for information purposes only, at PeritoAnimal.com.br we are not able to prescribe veterinary treatments or perform any type of diagnosis. We suggest that you take your pet to the veterinarian in case it has any type of condition or discomfort.