Strange little lump on dogs leg.

[brenda]

I was grooming my dog today , and holding her front paw gently in the palm of my hand to brush the lower part of the leg. She withdrew her paw quickly , as though something was causing her discomfort.

I parted the fur gently and found a small pink bubble shaped piece of skin protruding from the skin.It is very tiny , just larger that a grain of rice really.

This thing, and it has remained the same size and appearance since this morning. has no hairs or legs or segments. It does not seem to bother her , she is not nibbling at it or scatching in fact she ignores it.

I would be very grateful if anyone ccould help with any info as to what it may be.Thanks to everyone who has the time to reply.

[RATTER15]

A tick maybe?

[seadogg]

You would know f it was a tick that had locked on?

[RATTER15]

They arent all this size or colour.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJpgYn-kWFM

[DTCwordfan]

it can be a small fatty nodule - some dogs are prone to them. Take a pic now/measure it. If there is no discomfort and no growth - and if the nodule shows no blood or like fine veins over it, no need for the vet. If there is growth on your inspections, then vet. there is a technical name which I am trying to recall for you.

If he or she has one, they will probably get more.

[brenda]

seadogg -- please would you be kind enough to tell what a locked on tick would look like. Thanks very much.
Ratter have no experience of ticks -- would be grateful for any info.Thank you

[DTCwordfan]

Got it, a "Lipoma "(which does not mean cancerous by the way)

http://www.vet.uga.ed...lerk/Nation/index.php

They can appear be very quickly, so do not feel bad about not spotting it before.

[RATTER15]

If it is a tick, its unlikely that you will see its legs, it will be a different colour than the dogs skin and the mouth parts will be buried inside the skin.

[RATTER15]

http://www.labradorforums.co.uk/dogticks.html

[Sqad]

Lipoma is a fatty tumour and will not be found in the skin.

Pink suggests blood presence..........could it be a leech?

[seadogg]

Sorry Brenda, been away. One thing you can do. If you cover the protrusion with vaseline (petroleum jelly) it should suffocate the tick and it may fall off.
The method shown by Ratter is one that I use on friend's dogs and is the best if you have a definite tick. The vaseline will do no harm either way.

A good general tip is to use local dog walkers to find someone nearby who can help. We are a friendly lot and most will be only too pleased to help if you have a problem like recognising and dealing with ticks. which does not usually need a vet.

[brenda]

Thank you so much everyone for your answers, feel more confident now to deal with things , will give an update at a later point .Thanks again. Brenda

[KUSTARD]

Hi Brenda. I think the best thing you can do is to spray a bit of fly spray on the nodule (honest I'm not mad). This is what I have always done cos ticks are rife in the Lake District. After a day or so if it is a tic (don't know why I spelled it with a 'k' before) it will go black, shrivel up and drop off. Done this for 25 years with no problems. If no joy, get back for further advice.

[brenda]

Thank you Kustard, for you time in replying --- very interesting indeed.

[Epinephrine]

Hi Brenda,
it definately does not sound like a tick. They are very different in appearance.
i would not use fly spray on my dog at all.
I use a prescription preventative/tratment drug that covers fleas and ticks. You apply it once monthly to skin between shoulder blades. If the dog still gets a tick it prevents it having a proper 'feed' and detaches. There are many brands available but be careful when buying from pet stores and also if you have cats choose your brand wisely (ie. no advantix as contains permitherine - toxic to cats). Tick hooks are handy to keep in the house when you have a dog and is a sure way, when used correctly, of removing the WHOLE tick and not leaving any mouth parts inside which can lead to infections.
I would also be careful of just assuming lumps are lipomas, although lipomas are common they have a spongy feel alot of the time, can be moved to some extent when palpating and they do not appear red/pinkish.
It could just be an insect bite, skin tag or something else minor. I would monitor it over a week or so and if appearance or size changed take her to the vet.

[brenda]

Epinephrine----Thank you for your reply , very helpful indeed Brenda.

[jules77]

I wouldnt mess with it unless you are sure it is a tick, and even then, if you are not experienced in removing them, I would take her to the vet. It could be an interdigital cyst, or an insect bite.

[brenda]

Thanks jules for a different perspective.Have decided to monitor this thing for a few days , size and so on. Then will take her to the vet. Will update all when I have been.
Thanks all for your concerns Brenda.

[KUSTARD]

Sorry, Brenda, don't want to cause waves. Firstly, I wouldn't trust anyone who can't spell. Secondly there are a lot of tics of different colours and sizes, Thirdly, a lot of people are influenced by what I call "cosmetic vets" rather than country vets. Finally, just check out my Avitar. At 13.5 years, Ben has had more tics than hot dinners and is in superb condition. Good luck anyway.

[Bambiagain]

Just to be contentious, a "tic" is a nervous spasm, while a "tick" is an insect that feeds off animals' blood.

Ticks can come in various colours, and get paler as they fill with blood. If it is a large tick, it will fall off soon if you don't remove it first. I use Frontline on my dog and cat and they don't get many ticks (they are rife here), while the horses I ride get them all summer - I pulled about ten off one horse today. But don't pull them off if you don't know how - Ratter's video shows a good tool.

[boxtops]

Keep an eye on it, Brenda - give the vet a ring if you're concerned.