# is this a pimple, wart, or other?



## chombiekay (Jul 15, 2014)

good evening mates. first and foremost thank you for reading this and i appreciate any insight as to what this is. it started appearing on our 18month old bichon/shih-tzu about a week ago (or at least that's when we noticed it). it's about half an inch above his eye. it's about 1/8th inch wide and tall. can't figure out what it is, even tried googling images.


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## PatriciafromCO (Oct 7, 2012)

don't know "sorry" always have to consider about growths is... is there enough skin around it that is loose to be able to remove it and still have enough skin to close it. especially if the growth is deeper underneath then it is on the surface, the other is ,, is it the type of growth that will attach to bone. I'm not a rush to the vet type person for majority of things,, but growths I don't mind spending the vet appointment fee to get a look at.. I hope it's nothing for your little one..


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## Hiraeth (Aug 4, 2015)

Especially because of the proximity to the eye and how fast it's growing, I would schedule a vet appointment. The vet can probably offer removal or at the least a fine needle aspirate of the lump to determine if there's fluid or other types of tissue within it


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## chombiekay (Jul 15, 2014)

thank you kindly to both of your for your insight.

i will see a vet later about it. i THINK it is histiocytoma based on what i'm reading and photos since he's also under 2 years old.

obviously i'm not a vet ahaha.


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## PatriciafromCO (Oct 7, 2012)

That would be cool if it is something like that, that will go away on it's own... ( lol I had to look it up)


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## chombiekay (Jul 15, 2014)

i totally agree! no surgery would be best.

a lot of times i have a knee jerk reaction, like if i notice anything abnormal i think OH NO i have to take the dog to the vet immediately when in reality so many of the issues would have been fine going away on their own, and oftentimes that's what the vet says, just give it time. i think going to the vet is nowadays more for my own peace of mind!


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## MrsBoats (May 20, 2010)

Something like that and that appeared quickly....I would have my vet look at it to be honest.


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## griffinflames (Sep 19, 2015)

Definitely take your dog to the vet for a confirmation, but if it makes you feel any better, it does look like a histiocytoma to me. My dog had one appear on his chest area at around 10 months old rather suddenly. We decided to keep an eye on it and went away in about 3 months without any intervention (although it did _look_ worse for a bit even though my dog barely seemed to notice it). Warning signs that it may _not_ be a histiocytoma: irregular shape, patchy coloring, attaching itself to soft tissue underneath (i.e. not "floating" with the skin). Good luck!


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## chombiekay (Jul 15, 2014)

griffinflames said:


> Definitely take your dog to the vet for a confirmation, but if it makes you feel any better, it does look like a histiocytoma to me. My dog had one appear on his chest area at around 10 months old rather suddenly. We decided to keep an eye on it and went away in about 3 months without any intervention (although it did _look_ worse for a bit even though my dog barely seemed to notice it). Warning signs that it may _not_ be a histiocytoma: irregular shape, patchy coloring, attaching itself to soft tissue underneath (i.e. not "floating" with the skin). Good luck!


hi griffin flames thanks! just one quick question, can you elaborate on your soft tissue underneath (not floating with the skin) bit? i'm a little confused as to what this means exactly.


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## Kritter (Jan 28, 2015)

chombiekay said:


> hi griffin flames thanks! just one quick question, can you elaborate on your soft tissue underneath (not floating with the skin) bit? i'm a little confused as to what this means exactly.


Griffin probably means when you move the skin the growth moves with it. I would personally go to the vet and have it biopsied. My dog developed a growth on her face at 4 months old. I thought it was a wart, but it did not go away. When she was 10 months old I finally had it checked and it was a mast cell tumor. Thankfully they were able to remove it. Now she is almost 6 yrs old and only I can see the mark on her face.


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## griffinflames (Sep 19, 2015)

Oh yeah, sorry. I had meant that if you try to move the lump, does it move freely with the skin or does it feel like it's attaching itself to the soft tissue underneath. Any of those signs could indicate a malignancy of some sort. Regardless, I think it is best to have a vet check it out. If the vet is also reasonably sure that it's a histiocytoma, a possible conservative approach would be to wait 3 months, see if it goes away, before tacking it with any sort of surgery.


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## chombiekay (Jul 15, 2014)

hi mates. just an update. took bowser to the vet. she didn't take a sample but said she was pretty sure it is something called papilloma.

gave me some gel and said it should go away in a few weeks.


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## griffinflames (Sep 19, 2015)

If I recall correctly, papillomas are basically warts (i.e. virus induced benign tumor). A lot of times they can go away on their own once the immune system kicks in, but if they don't go away in a few months, you might want to get them removed, as they could be contagious to other dogs via direct contact. Glad to hear that it's nothing too serious though!


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## dogsule (Nov 6, 2013)

Yep, looks like a wart to me. We had a dog that got these frequently. Sometimes they went away and sometimes not. Had a few rupture too and bleed a bit but the the vet wasn't concerned. One time she got one on her eyelid but thankfully that one went away rather quickly. Only if they are in a problem area, like by the collar or eye or if they are bothering your dog does our vet recommend removing them, especially since they can grow right back even if removed.


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