white lump on dogs head- help

[mollyshuman]

I noticed a couple of weeks ago that Molly had a small lump under the fur on top of her head- like a small pimple or something...the other day I noticed it is getting bigger...it actually looks like a pearl. It is the size of a pearl and white and smooth. Should I be concerned? It is hard like a pearl also. Any ideas?

[spotted nikes]

Sounds like a wart, but you might want a vet to look at it to confirm it.

[Dog_Shrink]

If it were a wart it would likely have a calloused outer crust not smooth. Smooth usually comes with abcesses, fatty deposits, nodules, pustules, and some mass cell tumors. A size of a pearl would have me making a trip to the vet esp. if it has grown and changed in shape or texture since it's onset. Posting a picture of it would help me a lot.

[hanksimon]

It is difficult for us to diagnose a lump. For the most part, I believe it is worth it to let the Vet aspirate or take a sample of the inside of the tumor. It is a very simple, near painless procedure.

The Vet inserts a needle and removes tissue or liquid. Most dogs don't react. The Vet will examine that material under a microscope and report back. If they are benign and don't bother the dog, there may be no reason to do anything.

If the dog is getting older and the lump is growing, then Vet may suggest removing it now, because removal later may be more risky with an older dog.

My dog has had plenty of these tests for fatty tumors. Some of them look a little strange, but the Vet understands that I have no interest in "cosmetic surgery" for the dog. However, we have removed some polyps that were in a location where they might rub and get infected.

I had a concern about a small polyp on my dog's neck. The Vet looked at it and said it was harmless. She could have removed it in a few minutes, but she said there was no reason, unless it bothered my dog.

My suggestion is let the Vet check the lump. If the lump is benign, ask for recommendations, and ask what happens if you do nothing... and go from there.

If the lump is NOT benign, ask the Vet for options.

[parallelbarking]

Could it be something as simple as a tick?

[Bugsy]

I noticed the same thing on the top of my dog's head. Just a white pimple is what it looks like. But it's gone away. It never got bigger.

If I were you I'd go to the vet, since it's changed in size.