Ask Dr Claire

My dog has a lump inside his ear that is like a tick in shape and joined to the ear by it’s tip, however it is hairy. I’m scared to pull it out in case it is not a tick.

For starters, a tick isn’t hairy. So this is likely to be another sort of lump in your dogs’ ear.

As a rule of thumb, lumps are either:

1. Non-cancerous and just inflammatory.

2. Cancerous, being either:

(a) Benign (tend to be slow growing and not spread readily), or

(b) Malignant (fast growing and can spread to other areas).

Touching or pulling at it could result in bleeding, so a hands-on examination from your local vet is the best place to start.

When it comes to lumps, looks can be very deceiving. So if you’re worried, a sample of the lump is the only true way to tell what it is. Sometimes the sample will need to be sent to a veterinary pathologist to interpret the cells. Then recommendations can be made as to whether a biopsy or removal is needed.

If you’d like to chat in person, you can book a live video call or start a chat to discuss in more detail, as soon as possible.

We’re here to help!

Chat soon,

Dr Claire