Sebaceous Cysts

WARNING:  GROSS BLOG.  THIS BLOG CONTAINS GROSS MATERIAL, CONTINUE AT YOUR OWN RISK.  YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

This photo was taken before the second growth started on the orignal one.


If you have not had breakfast yet or you have a queasy stomach then best NOT TO read this one or leave it for later in the day. Sebaceous cysts; a volcano like bump that is commonly found on dogs. It seems that no breed or mix is predisposed to these little annoying lumps so any dog is fair game. I don't remember the first time I saw one but it was on Tilley; she has now had them for years and it is has become a common attack strategy when we see one. First we take note; lump, next we wait and we wait and we wait until it decides to erupt and erupt it does, usually. They open up much like a volcano and release the contents which can vary from gray goo, maybe a little blood to tiny little dark gray pearls. The tiny beads are common and have been inside almost all of Tilley's and by tiny I mean like large sized grains of sand but there are a lot of them with the accompanying goo.



So what are Sebaceous cysts and what should you do about them? All dogs have oil glands in their skin; these are what produce the oil for their hair, which contain a substance called Sebum. When a hair follicle becomes blocked for some reason then the natural flow of oils cannot be expelled. This causes a backup so to speak and a lump can form; it can grow to a good size before it opens up, if it opens up. Tilley has had them when they simply dried up and went away but typically they have come to a head and opened. This is when great care must be taken to keep them clean; infection can set in fast and make matters far worse.

Tilley has had a huge lump growing on her for several years.  We have had it checked and the result was fatty cyst, nothing to worry about.  So over the years we have just watched it grow.  All along I had thought that it was a sebaceous cyst that just never opened.  Recently it started another lump on top of the  original lump, a little alarming.  Again I had a vet look at it and he was very unalarmed by it.  So I left the vets contemplating what to call this new thing.  It was big enough to now have a name.  Blunk; it has been called and remained the name associated with this monstrous bulb.  The cyst was the size of two golf balls, substantial to say the least. 

Just this past weekend I said to my husband "if it would just open up I could tend to it."  It had gotten so big that it was shiny; I assumed it could not get any bigger without splitting open.  It felt very much like a balloon filled with water.  Only a few days later she blew a leak.  A tiny spot of fluid ran down the side of the cyst; I quickly got a clean cloth and squeezed ever so gently.  A drip of what looked like coffee came out; strange.  But that was as far as we got, nothing more came out.  That was until yesterday morning when it started to leak again.

This shot was taken at the end of the squeezing; now changed color with some blood.


I quickly got Tilley outside in the sun and grabbed my glasses.  It was dripping out at a pretty good rate but what was coming out was again coffee like, very watery and dripping to the ground.  I grabbed a pile of napkins and applied a small amount of pressure.  The leak started in the newest section of the growth; this is what I thought I might be able to drain, if not the original growth.  As I squeezed I felt it give and gush; I now had a handful of coffee with what looked like a few grinds in it.  This was very different from other cysts.

I continued to press; coaxing the contents out of their encasement when there was another gush but this time it shot past the cloth and squirt across my shirt.  I had to laugh; this is what I'd wanted for her and this monster that was freeloading (be careful what you wish for).   It was at this point that I realized that the whole thing was unloading.  Tilley is such a trooper; a tougher dog I've not met.  A couple of times she glanced back at me as if to check on the status. 

The hole is quite small compared to the sized of the original blunk.


The coffee and grinds substance started to change resembling a consistency that I am accustom to.  It was getting gooey; filled with black and white tiny grains.  We had several big gushes; constant drizzling and lots of cloth changes until we reached a point where I thought we were just about done.  I tried a bit more pressure and had a couple more big gushes when I looked at the spot where this monster had lived for several years.  It was gone; almost.

Now I have to care for the open wound; luckily it is a very small hole.  We've had them before when the whole thing opened up.  So I will keep it clean; apply hot compresses and get the remaining goo out.  It will hopefully heal and regrow hair as the others have done.  This has been a monumental moment; I thought she was doomed to live with this montrous growth.

I've taken care of dozens of them; yes they are extremely gross but fairly easy to fix so to speak. If they open up; you use hot compresses, a cloth with warm water. As warm as your pup can stand and put it on top; let it sit and then gently squeeze. It may not seem like there is an end to the goo but there is; believe me. When you start to see blood; which may be a few days you are nearing the end. I like to keep neosporine all around the opening but not covering the opening. Best to keep a dry bandage on it if you can; this stops licking. Perhaps sit out in the sun with your pooch to let it dry without a bandage for a bit each day.

The hair may or may not grow back on the spot where the cysts formed; I've had it grow and not grow back. Problems can arise with a cyst if they do not come to a head and continue to grow . If they become red and warm to the touch; best to head to the vet. They are often removed surgically; but only if they become a problem.

104 comments:

  1. I had a vet who insisted on removing them surgically. He made lots of money from me! Now I know better.

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  2. I had an English Springer Spaniel that used to get them. I would wait until she had a few of them then the vet would remove them. With the shaving and cutting she would look like she had been in a knife fight!! Poor thing. As she got older I just let them go but they are a tad gross when they blow!!

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  3. oh, that story isn't so gross...very interesting...

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  4. Thanks, Sheri. Much more helpful in identifying and treating this problem should it occur than gross. I've never seen one of these on any of my dogs but now I'm prepared, thanks to you.

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  5. Hi Sherri, It's funny I was just doing a search on sebaceous cysts and found this post on your blog! :-) My Miss Kiera and Loki are very cysty and I'm sad to say that miss K has one that looks about ready to pop. I don't like the look of it, it might be infected. As I was examining her I found another one too! Gawd I hate these things but I'm like you--leave well enough alone, until they pop or unless they look weird. I just took care of one of Loki's and yes, your description of a volcano is very accurate! Good thing my husband didn't clean it--he's very squeamish! Hugs to the spoos and Tilley in heaven.

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  6. Yep, they are not for the faint of heart. Gross but usually pretty harmless. :)

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  7. Sherri how big do these get and how quick? Our girl has had this for two years and it has grown slowly until the last three days it has really grown, how long can it take to break open?

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  8. I've dealt with several over the years...on several dogs.
    I happened to get some injectable lidocaine (numbing agent) which I inject with an insulin needle and syringe (tiny). Then I open it up with a sterile scalpel (find them at livestock supply stores. It doesn't explode and is easy to drain plus the dog doesn't feel a thing except the first injection of lidocaine. Let it heal from the inside out, but of course watch for infection.

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  9. It is because of wrong nutrition that they get this kind of stuff! Stop giving dry food to your dogs! Go raw! Then these kind of issues will disappear as well.

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  10. Anonymous; Some breeds and certain lines are prone to these. Tilley had a raw and cooked diet of real food most of her life.

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  11. Our basset hound has one by his spine I've been watching it contemplating whether or not to go rushing to the vet they like to screw us over out here. His cyst is under the fur. Should I shave the fur to help the process along? Or if I do take him to the vet can they just lance it? Thank you

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  12. Because Tilley got them all the time I knew that they were all cysts. So if you know that it is indeed a cyst I would just leave it to do its thing. Once it opens you can then help it along.

    Sherri

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  13. Sherri I am so Thankful I came across your Blog! My Bella (she's a Basset Hound Mix) had one huge cyst one her back for the past year. The Vet said it would go away on its on, but it seemed to just get bigger and bigger. Then tonight I noticed a stream of coffee looking liquid down her back and I went to wipe it off and well.... Yes it exploded on me. So my son put her in the tub for me and I used the massager setting on my shower with warm water and kept squeezing the yuckie stuff all out. We got all of it out got her dried off, then I put some lidocane ointment on it, gave her a benadryl and a treat and she is now very happy 7 yr old baby girl and resting comfortably.

    Thanks From The Cravin Clan in Georgia!

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  14. Hi Cravin Clan, I'm glad that you found the blog as well. Sharing canine experiences can really help others. I'm glad your Bella has gotten rid of her hitch hiker now. Give her a hug for me.

    Sherri

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  15. My almost 7 yr old dog has had a brown lump on her back leg since she was a pup. A vet told me it was a large mole and nothing to worry about. It has not bothered her all these years. Took her to a new vet few weeks ago and she noticed the "mole" and said it was not a mole, but a cyst. She grabbed a needle,lanced it, and squeezed out semi-solid pus- looking goo. She said it would fill back up though. A week later I saw some blood dripping down my dog's leg and the thing grew back larger and inflamed that one day. My dog was pacing because she was in too much pain to sit or lay down. Took her back to vet and she said it looked abnormal and put my dog on an antibiotic even though it is not infected (just inflamed). I feel the vet caused my dog unnecessary pain and potential infection, and caused me to pay her a lot of money for something that had never been a problem before. What is your take on this?

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  16. Your description is very good! My dog Sammi has had a few of those and like you said it started out looking fairly similiar to coffee and when it burst no doubt it just poured out with timy black and white flecks like sand and sort of had a bit of a crystal sheen to them. They don't totally disappear for Sammi but I just keep an eye on them and they still leak but from different little spots. Thankfully for me when it burst I had just gotten home from the hospital after having a heart attack since my husband would probably have vomitted if he had been the only one at home when it happened!!

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  17. This is great, thanks for a helpful, succinct and articulate description! Our boxer girl had one of these on her back and it burst, and we did what you described. It's all healed up now, I was just googling whether we could expect her fur to grow back there. Doesn't matter either way, she's still beautiful :) Thanks again for such a great, descriptive and helpful explanation of the process!

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  18. My lab had one on her back and it just popped and had the same stuff you said and sorta like white stuff too.
    I took her to the vet and she wanted to charge me $530.00 to cut the area out saying it would refill again if she didn't remove the hole area. What do you think? Will it heal by itself?

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  19. My lab had one on her back and it opened and looked like what you have said. I took her to the vet and they want to cut it out and said if they didn't it would continue to fill back up. Wanted to charge me $530.00 what do you think? Will it heal on its own?

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  20. Pam, I dealt with these for a very long time with my girl. I never had any removed and even the very worst cleared up with nursing and cleaning it on my own. I'd give it a try, keep it clean and let the air get at it when you can supervise.

    Good luck, let me know and if you have any other questions please feel free to ask.

    Sherri

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  21. Sherri thank you.
    Did you apply any medicine on it ?
    I applied triple antibiotics ointment on and in the hole area

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  22. Sherri thank you.
    Did you apply any medicine on it ?
    I applied triple antibiotics ointment on and in the hole area

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  23. Sherri thank you.
    Did you apply any medicine on it ?
    I applied triple antibiotics ointment on and in the hole area

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  24. I used Bactine or just hot water and soap to it. Then around the hole I put neosporine but not in the hole because you want it to dry. Do not use peroxide. Squeeze it until nothing comes out any further with a hot cloth.

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  25. Just to add to this if the cyst colapses on the inside or the skin turns black get to the vet. Our dog is 11 and got his fist cyst in a week it went from pea sizes to grapefruit and leaked but would not empy, compresses, repeated draining didnt work. Woke up to a dog that couldnt walk and wasin pain. Vet opened it and sent us home with a large leaking hole in the doga back. Now we wait. Truly is stomach turning to look at.

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  26. Wow, I hope that it heals. I never had anything that large on my guys. Golf ball was the biggest. Like anything, there are times when you need to head to the vet.

    Sherri

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  27. I have a cocker spaniel with thirty tags on one spot..any idea what it could be? Grew in just a couple of days and right on his forehead

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  28. i have a springer and he had a lump on neck which if i aplied preasure white cottage cheese like stuff came out, took her to the vet and he said that he would have to remove it also there where 2 on his back that had not poped but had them removed as well. 1 of the lumps on his back while trying to heal got infected so bad that he had to go under the knife again this time vet had to remove infected skin, after 3 course of antibotics he has sadly had to go back under the knife again and had to have more of his skin removed on his back, now i am trying to deal with a 20 cm scar and 16 stitches another antibotic and a spray , daughter in trears over her dog and i am just hope and pray it will heal this time

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  29. I have a 15 year old standard poodle with a ruptured cyst near the base of her tail. It oozes and she will lick it if it isn't covered. I now keep it covered and apply Quadratop every other day. Kinda manages it....She is in pretty good health otherwise. A year ago the vet said there wasn't enough skin to close it surgically. Now she says it's worth a try. Makes me oh so nervous. Any advice?

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  30. Kate; 15 years old is great. I'd opt to just care for it myself at this point. Unless they could try to fix it without putting her out. Risky to be put out at that age, or any age but 15? I wouldn't unless I had to.

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  31. I have a shih tzu she's almost 15 she has one of these I believe to be a cyst. It's on her tummy it looks like she's a male dog. It's a reddish & purple color and it doesn't seem to be attached to her body it just hangs there like a she's a male dog. Any help with this would be really good, she has me worried sick I love her so much. Please answer soon.

    Christina

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  32. Christina, if she has not had these before I would get her to the vet. It could just be a nothing cyst but it could be something else. Just have it checked out.

    Let me know how it goes.

    Sherri

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  33. Christina, that could be a hernia. I would take her to a vet. Sometimes hernias are not a problem and can be left alone, but it's best to know for sure.

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  34. Thanks Sherri, my poodle Fred had a HUGE cyst let go recently and I have been treated it at home thanks to your advise. Vet did give antibiotics to prevent infection. My question is, how long will this thing ooze? It just seems to keep refilling alittle every day, not so bad but he sleeps next to furniture and things are getting messy. Also, would there be any reason a kennel would not take him in this condition.? Thanks

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  35. Also, why not use hydrogen peroxide?

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  36. Peroxide actually deteriorates new tissue making healing longer.

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  37. Meredith Milo's momSaturday, November 16, 2013

    Hi Sherri
    I am having trouble with my houndie milo he has a lump on his neck that keeps draining and filling up again it is quite large and vet want"s to put him under to put in a drain tube then a second surgery to remove he is almost 11 and don't want to do that to him...I could use some help on what to do...he is on antibiotics
    my request and some kind of steriod cream...thanks for your blog

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  38. Meredith, how long has it been draining for? How large is it and is this the first?

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  39. it's been draining off and on about 1 month and it drains oblong shape about the size of a softball this is his first to open, he scratched it open he has about 5 other ones on his butt and belly

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  40. WHat is the color of the liquid coming out?

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  41. Meredith Milo's momSaturday, November 16, 2013

    a lot of blood now but there was puss in the begining

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  42. My dog seems to have a cyst on his back neck when I pull the hair a part it looks like he has black heads all over. Os that just the oil build up that caused the cyst?

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  43. Clint, you will want to get the bump checked if this is a first. My girl suffered her whole life with them so I knew what they were. They did not have black heads on them so have it checked just in case.

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    1. This is the 2nd time he has gotten one...The last one was no near the size is one has gotten to. I have been putting a warm heating pad on it while we watch tv and I think that is what caused it to grow. ..it's bout 1.5 inches high and 2 inches wide

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  44. How does it feel? It is squishy like there is fluid inside. Tilley's big one was like that, much like a water balloon.

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  45. Hi I need help please

    I have a maltese shih tzu, she started getting lumps at about 2 year old. The vet told me she needed surgery, so I got them removed, there was a total of 4. That was last year and now she has at least 4 more and one near her back end is getting bigger. I changed her food to a very expensive brand called Acana, which is apparently the next best thing to a raw diet but in a hard food form. The cysts are hard and black looking...is there anything I can do to stop these from coming ....I bath my dog at least one a month and try to keep up with brushing her rough coat......I don't want to put her under every year #1 it's dangerous for her and could lead to death #2 it's expensive.......there must be something o do to stop these things

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  46. Hi I need help please

    I have a maltese shih tzu, she started getting lumps at about 2 year old. The vet told me she needed surgery, so I got them removed, there was a total of 4. That was last year and now she has at least 4 more and one near her back end is getting bigger. I changed her food to a very expensive brand called Acana, which is apparently the next best thing to a raw diet but in a hard food form. The cysts are hard and black looking...is there anything I can do to stop these from coming ....I bath my dog at least one a month and try to keep up with brushing her rough coat......I don't want to put her under every year #1 it's dangerous for her and could lead to death #2 it's expensive.......there must be something o do to stop these things

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  47. My 10 yr old standard poodle also has a cyst that popped. I am opting for surgery Tuesday because these things get staph very easily. Pay now or really pay later. I know that standards are prone to these cysts but she's the first dog I ever had that got one. I wonder if the flea and tick medicine/oil causes this. I read that this is a dangerous poison. I never used flea meds on any of my other poodles and they never got fleas or these cysts.

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  48. My girl had them all her life, none ever got infected and she didn't have to go through a surgery for nothing. You have to do what you feel is best.

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  49. I am nervous about this, but this surgery is twofold. I adopted Chloe when she was 7. Her previous owner didn't clip her nails and now they're overgrown. In fact they're bending her toes crooked and it looks very painful for her. So we're going to have those fixed too. Because of her age, I doubt if I'll ever put her through another surgery.

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  50. What kind of bandage do you use? My pup is prone to these and has one now on his behind/flank so I can't really use a wrap. Thanks for your post on this, it was very helpful.

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  51. I try to use just a dry gauze sterile wrap so that it can breath. I also leave it open when I'm supervising.

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  52. My dig had one drained by the vet 11 days ago. It KEEPS filling back up and I am re opening it every night to drain it. And every night, what comes out is that black coffee looking fluid! Will it ever stop? We are going to take ANOTHER trip to the vet now.

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  53. Misty, my girls took sometime to completely drain but it finally did.

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  54. My dog Kane had his cyst erupt in July. It was located on the back of his neck near the ear. It was the size of a racquetball. When it erupted, the vet said it erupted underneath his skin and gave him a staph infection. So he went through the exact situation you did but he also had his throat swell up 3 times the size of normal. Luckily his airways weren't blocked.

    Do you know if sebaceous cysts can erupt again? The vet said not to worry about the cyst unless it causes my dog problems but I'm slightly worried because since the eruption, it has grown back slightly.

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  55. My dog had a hot spot that ended up being a cyst. The vet said it had already burst and cleaned it up and sent us on our way with antibiotics. I've been cleaning it and taking care of the area (although it's been impossible to keep him from licking). Today I got up and his foot was red and swollen looking.. I touched it and it started oozing this nasty yellowish stuff. I'm not sure if this is an infection breaking up and a good thing or if this is something to be worried about?

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  56. Yellow is not good. A sebaceous cyst is usually greyish with little beads in it or like this one, coffee like.

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    1. Our dog's was yellow goo when the vet aspirated it. He told us it was sebaceous. Not sure if the color can be affected by breed or not--we have a 8 yr old Lhasa Apso.

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  57. Hi Sherri
    My dog also had a growth on her back for a few years. The vet said come in if it changes. Well it did change it got bigger and I said to my husband we have to bring her to the vet the next day it exploded and all this white grainy stuff came out it is still coming out the lump is almost gone. I think she has the same thing your dog gets. I will put warm compresses on it until it is all drained. Thanks for all your information. Not sure why the grainy stuff is white but it doesn't smell so it is not an infection.

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  58. Christine, sounds exactly like a sebaceous cyst. I've dealt with many many over the years.

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  59. Hope you can help me. My very old English Springer keeps getting these cysts, usually 3-5 at a time. Twice we've had them surgically removed because they were so big (very expensive). Now she is diabetic, blind, and deaf and again has these cysts. One of the larger ones (2 inches in diameter) burst last night. There is now a gaping hole. We disinfected the hole and put a tee shirt on her so that the wound gets air. We really do not want to put her through another surgery or even a trip to the vet if unnecessary. Is it okay to just wait and see if this thing heals on its own?

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  60. Claudia, I am not a Vet, nor do I claim to offer any health recommendations; but that is exactly what I did and do most of the time. I nurse myself and wait to see what happens. Tilley had many over the years and we never had one removed or vet visits for any.

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  61. My 7 yr. old basset had one on her ankle and vet drained it about two years ago. Now that one has come back bigger than before. I just noticed 3 more that popped up! Has anyone's dog had more than
    one? These last ones popped up fast it seems. None of them have erupted like everyone is saying. Gonna have the vet look again but I sure dont want her to have surgery.

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  62. We had the same experience on our 7 yr old English Mastiff. We took her to the vet, he said we could do surgery but he advised against it stating that surgery is expensive, risky, and there is no absolute guarantee that it will not come back and said it would likely go away on it's own in time. So we left it alone. This am, after about 2 1/2 yrs of the thing growing to the size of a golfball on her back- it finally popped...gross to say the least with the white/black grainy puss that came out but good to know that a hot compress/antibiotic ointment will help the healing process as I was getting ready to make another appt to see what we should do now that it's opened up! Thanks for your blog!

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  63. They are gross but mostly just a cyst. Glad you found this blog. :)

    Sherri

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  64. Hello Sherri, I stumbled across your site googling cysts in dogs. By any chance is Tilley a Kerry Blue, the coat has me wondering
    cheers
    debbie

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  65. Debbie, no she is a standard poodle.

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  66. My dalmatian has some kind of cyst on the top of his foot. Vet wants to do surgery. 1000.00. It is about the size of a nickel round but also the size of a marble. He is constantly linking it when it's unwraped. Not sure what to do.

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  67. It should most definitely be aspirated to see if it contains cancer cells. Then go from there but if it is bothering your Dal. then you should maybe have it removed either way.

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  68. Hi Sherri, your blog is reassuring. Thank you. My dog, a mini schnauzer, had her cyst 'pop' over a week ago, nearly got sick, had panic attack, gained control, emptied the cyst gently with tears down my cheeks, wee Sooty just stood there and let me, she was not that bothered! A quick drive to my lovely groomer and she had a look at it, and said if I was bothered to pop off to the vets. So off to the vet, said I did a good job of clearing out the cyst, and Sooty was on antibiotics for 5 days. All fine so far, but in the past few days she has started to lose hair around the now healed wound, under her hair there is like dark dandruff, but the druff cannot be removed without the hair coming with it.....is hair loss normal after a cyst? The hair loss ring is around 2" but if I pluck it it could be bigger. Is it alopecia? Will I revisit the vet. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks agian for a great blog. Regards Joan

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  69. Hi Joan, I have had a few that had hair loss around them. Watch it closely and if it doesn't stop then pop off to the vet again. It would be good to offer probiotics as your dog is on antibiotics. :) Good luck.

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  70. Thanks Sherri, I will give her probitics. Thanks for replying x x

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  71. I just came from the vet today, my dog which I rescued from a animal shelter 3 years ago. She had many problems, but doing very well now. She was so afraid of people, not anymore. Truda is the perfect dog, someone early in her life must have trained her very well. Something bad happened to her after that. She is l0 years old now, and a sebaceous cysts ruptured jtoday. I took her to the vet, since I had no idea what was happening, the vet just told me it was a cyst. She gave me antibiotics, and Chlorhex Solution/oz DESPMED that's on the bottle, and to clean affected area once daily for 2 weeks. She wants me to take her to a surgeon and have it removed and a cost of about 3000.00 dollars. I read all of these above and this is her first, not that big, it isn't bothering her. I was actually going to go get the surgery, but was afraid because of her age. I'm going to keep a eye on it and do as instructed. I might get a second opinion. I've had dogs all my life and never had this problem before, so it is quite scary and maybe vets take advantage of that. Thanks for putting this material on here, it makes me feel much better. I will let you know how she does.

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  72. Hi sherri, great blog you have here. Just have a few questions of my own.

    Today, I have taken my dog to the vet. Since it is already open, she squeezed the lump on my dog and black cottage cheese gus came out. A lot of it!

    Then, she just told me to leave the wound open and apply betadine and an antibiotic ointment that she have given me.

    Do I need to ask for a second opinion with regards to the procedure done? I was kind of expecting an incision and suction procedure. DoI have to note anything else?

    Thank you!

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  73. Sounds just like what I dealt with with Tilley. Sometimes whiteish, grayish little beads. I used hot compresses then gently squeeze several times a day until there was no more. Keep it clean and air dry whenever possible.

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  74. Sherri,

    I was so relieved to find your blog this morning. My dog has had a cyst on his back since last year. I took him to the vet in the fall and they aspirated the cyst. It came back as benign. It started to grow recently and I was getting nervous. I followed your instructions this morning and was able to drain the cyst completely. It was pretty gross but, I am going to continue to clean the opening.

    I hope the cyst hasn't been causing my dog too much discomfort.

    Thank you for sharing your experiences.

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  75. my toy poodle has a bump under his chin an the first one dried up an detached. and when we cut it open it was filled with little grey balls then another one came back in two weeks an it started to detach so we took it off n it was kinda moist n dark in color kinda solid I am so scared of the C word I can't loose him. the first one completely detached but the second one was kinda attached a little n bleed a drop under where it was is a little open sore what could this be

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  76. It sounds like a cyst but have you taken him to the vet to have it checked? I have dealt with many and the little gray pearls that come out are common. If you are worried then take him to the vet to have it biopsied.

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  77. hello Sherri! Thanks for all of this info. My dog has something similar looking that has been a fatty cyst like lump on his ankle that he has had for about 2.5 years that has just started to have a pointy protrusion. Is there a way to send a picture to you to see if it looks like what you are discussing??

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  78. Yes just email it to me. sherri@justdogswithsherri.com

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    1. Hi Sherri, our sweet old man ( also a boxer) has been dealing with this and I'd love to pick your brain, may I email you?

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    2. omg sorry I'm just seeing this now, not sure why. Please feel free to email me.

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  79. Sherri, Hi. Thank you for this. Our golden retriever has had a lump growing on her back just above her left hind leg. It recently grew to about the size of a soft ball (cut in half). For a few days it had a scab, however over the last two days it has begun to drain. I applied a warm wet paper towel and gently massaged the lump. A Lot of blood came out mixed with the sandy grainy stuff. There was also so black slimy things, and cottage cheese looking nastiness.
    My husband and I then got her into a warm bath to rinse all of the excess stuff out of her fur.
    My concern is this, once she was out of the bath I again checked her now golf ball sized lump.
    When massaging it I could feel what I described to my husband as rocks. I looked in the hole, which was about the size of a pencil, and there was black stuff inside as well. I continued to massage it and a whitish and black... thing, for lack of better word, poked out. It took some work but when it finally came out completely it looked like a small tumor. About the size of a bouncy ball you get from quarter machines. Maybe a bit bigger. I am worried that my trying to help my have caused more damage.
    Did your pup ever have anything large, simi hard but also a bit squishy come out? Called the emergency vet for advice, Raindrop is now wearing a tshirt until I hear from my vet.

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    1. That may have been the sack. My dog had a cyst on top of his head for several years then a spot appeared like a blackhead. The vet squeezed a bunch out and said not to worry and if my dog ever needed survey for anything else he would take care of it then. When squeezed it was a thick substance and looked and squeezed out like old toothpaste and greyish black. It will keep filling G up until they can remove the sack.

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    2. That's not correct, my girl had so many and none were ever removed They did not come back.

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  80. LeBard, I've dealt with lots of gross black, white and grey stuff. But not a large piece. Did you keep it? If so bring it to the vet for them to test. I have had a large grow simply fall off as well. It never came back and never bothered her.

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  81. Sherri, first Thank you for responding, I greatly appreciate it. I did keep them (there were 2. It was a whole but tore). I put them in the freezer last night (in a zip lock) because I didn't know what else to do. I am taking them to the vet with is at 1:30. Very concerned because I couldn't find anything similar in my 7hr online search. I couldn't sleep. I couldn't spot worrying nor could I get the images out of my head.
    She seems ok, completely herself except for the gaping hole.
    I changed her tshirt this morning as it was saturated in what I can only assume is puss.
    She has about 4 bumps that I've noticed but the others are all small, marble sized.
    I've been spraying vetericyn on it, not in it. I wwasn't sure it would be ok because of how deep it is but the emergency vet said it was ok.
    It's pretty gross but can I send you a picture of the masses that came out? Maybe an extra pair of eyes will help in my search for answers. (Granted we go in in less that 2hrs, your advice and wisdom is helping me pass the time).
    Thanks again.

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  82. Most definitely, send me the pics. sherri@justdogswithsherri.com

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    1. sherri, do you think that a cyst can grow before it will pop on its own because on an area with excess skin. like on the back of neck where you can pull up (like a mom carrying her pups? and do you think it would hurt to puncture it to releive the pressure? to clean it out?

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  83. Yay!!! Just a very large sebaceous cyst!

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  84. Yay for sure. Amazing how even the big juicy ones can still just be cysts. Congrats.

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  85. Yes please do around sherri@justdogswithsherri.com

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  86. Yes please do around sherri@justdogswithsherri.com

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  87. My 11 year old Mini Schnauzer had a flat like cyst on his side that the vet aspirated the last time he was in. It was benign. It moves around and was flat until early this morning he woke up and I could tell something was bothering him. He didn't want to go outside and won't eat. I was so surprised to see that flat bump suddenly was huge and real hard. I'm thinking it will burst, but when he has something that is bothering him, he just freezes and won't move. He does this even if there is a stick caught in his hair (smile). I see that there is a good vet open on Sunday, but I don't know if I should just wait and see if it pops today. He is terrified of the vet so I hate taking him there unless absolutely necessary. My regular vet is open tomorrow, so maybe I'll take him in if he isn't feeling well or acting natural. I have dealt with these before and they burst open and I just keep it clean. Is there anyway to try and make it open? I am right now just putting a warm cloth on his side which he seems to like.

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  88. I would keep a very close eye on it and hopefully it will open up. I have never opened one myself. If not better tomorrow, take him in as it can become infected on the other side if it does not open. Is there a way you can shave it so that you can see it better?

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  89. Hi Sherri - I have read (a few sources) never to squeeze them. Sounds like you disagree. My dog had an eruption, I used warm compresses, kept very clean, etc. but did not squeeze. Seems like it healed but with the "goo" still inside and is now a semi-hard ball again (like it will erupt again in the future). To squeeze or not to squeeze? Also, seems that lumps that have been here for a few years are all starting to take turns erupting now. Why all around the same time after no "activity" for years? Hmmmm...

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  90. Only time I ever squeezed was after it had opened on it's own. Gently and with hot compress to get everything out.

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  91. Sherri, quick question. My dog has a few masses that the vet doesn't seem interested in except one. This mass has opened and I did squeeze out the contents. However they are not the contents that I usually see from a syst. This was more of a tooth paste consistency, grainy and the color was a light grey with some dark pieces(looked a lot like sand or crushed sea shells). Have you seen this or have any idea as to what it could be?

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  92. Hi Sherri,

    Reading your blog and all the comments has put me at ease. I just made another appointment with the vet so that they can look at my golden retriever's cyst (for like the 3rd time). Her cyst is similar to many other individuals dogs up in the comments (black/dark smelly pus, lots of blood, red, etc). I have not tried using hot compress yet nor neosporine. I do not want to take my dog to get it surgically removed but her cyst keeps on getting bigger and bigger! Even after I drain it, I feel like the additional skin from the cyst will always be there to fill up again! I was wondering if I can e-mail you a picture of my dogs cyst to see if it is something your dogs have had before and whether or not you can give me a second opinion.

    Thank so much!

    Best, Kevin from NY

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  93. Hi Kevin, most definitely email me at sherri@justdogswithsherri.com

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  94. Hi Sherri, Im so happy you have this blog. My Charlie (10yrs old)is a Saint Bernard mix and has had a tumor growing for three years now. I had it biopsied the first year and it was non-cancerous. It has been hard and not painful to him for all this time until this weekend. It started coming to a head on one side and while i was petting him i noticed it leaking out. I put gentle pressure on it and an hour later it is mostly drained. The fluid was a brownish yellow clear fluid and then changed to blood tinted fluid with white cottage cheese like substance. I called the vet and of course they wanted to see him right away. I want to see if this thing heals on its own. I don't have thousands for surgery that may not be needed anyway. I want to thank you for suggesting that i keep it clean and not cover the hole with neosporin. I felt terrible for not rushing him to the vet and now I know that is not the best option unless it becomes infected. It has filled back up with fluid and I'm going to put a warm compress on it and try to drain it more. I left some of the harder material in there and now after reading all the advice and comments I know I should try to get it all out. Thank you so much!!!

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  95. Hi Sherri, I have a 13 year old mini schauzher who had this very same problem, i was managing it exactly like you were and had no problems. I took her to the groomer who had a new employee and of couse spoke directly to the groomer twice and told her not to touch it. My husband picked her up. When I came home...Sherri the groomer must have shaved completely over it and caused it to bleed so she put some type of white powder on it and it looks like the entire wall of the cyst has came up above the dermis. Now she has the big draing wall hanging down from her neck. Vet gave her clindamycin, did preop blood work, and as soon as i saw it I immediately wound washed it applied bactroban, sterile gauze and ace wrap daily unily vet saw her. Im so sad.

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  96. I never like to open a cyst and let them do it all on their own.

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  97. My 15 year old lab had a big one on his spine and it got about golf ball size. Came home one day and looked like grease on his back. It had popped. I squeezed it and grayish white toothpaste consistency gunk came out with little tiny pieces of something were in it. The amount of stuff that kept coming out was nauseating. Put warm cloths on it and kept squeezing it. Wiping off everything and repeating with warm wet cloths. It kept bringing up stuff until no more (he was getting tired of me following him around squeezing it for a few hours). It closed on its own and was never a problem again.

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Love to hear from you.