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Dog has lump on top of head.

Species: Dog
Breed: Great Dane
Age: 6-12 months
My great dane will be 1 year old on Dec.10th, 2010. We had gotten him from a breeder when he was 3 months old. He has never really had any physical/medical problems that we know of. When I woke up on Sat. (almost a week ago now) morning and went to take him outside I noticed that he had a large lump (about the size of a baseball) right on top of his head between his ears. I thought maybe he had hit his head on something, but my husband and I could not remember him hitting his head at all the night before. It just appeared over night. Also, it is not a hard lump it's almost like it's filled with jelly, but now the core of it seems like it might be getting harder. It doesn't seem to bother him at all or be painful. We figured that it would go away or at least start to get smaller after a few days but it hasn't seemed to get any better. We can't really afford to take him into the vet right now if we don't have to, so is there anything we can do or do you think it will go away on it's own? What do you think this lump could be?


Online vet, Dr. Marie

Dr. Marie replied:

This is definitely not a normal problem!

The most common reason for a lump to appear on the top of a dog's head is an abscess. An abscess is usually there because of some type of wound that had gotten infected. If it is an abscess it may not go away on its own. It might need antibiotics prescribed by your vet. Or, it may even need surgery.

It is also possible that this is a big bruise or something called a seroma. A seroma is a collection of fluid under the skin. This would be there because of him bumping his head on something. If this is the cause then it should go away within a week.

There are other types of tumors or growths that can appear on the top of the head but it would be unusual for one to come up all of a sudden like this.

I hope things are better soon!

Dr. Marie.

---This question was asked in our Ask A Vet For Free section.---


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Disclaimer: Although Dr. Marie is a qualified veterinarian, the information found on this site is not meant to replace the advice of your own veterinarian. AskAVetQuestion.com and Dr. Marie do not accept any responsibility for any loss, damage, injury, death, or disease which may arise from reliance on information contained on this site. Do not use information found on this site for diagnosing or treating your pet. Anything you read here is for information only.

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Dr. MarieDr. Marie is a veterinarian who practices in a busy animal hospital in Ottawa, Ontario. She created Ask A Vet Question as a resource for good, accurate veterinary advice online. Dr. Marie treats dogs, cats, hamsters, guinea pigs, and rats. She has been a vet since 1999.

Is an online vet visit just as good as a trip to your veterinarian? No! But, many times, asking an online veterinarian a question can help save you money. While Dr. Marie can't officially diagnose your pet or prescribe medications, she can often advise you on whether a vet visit is necessary. You can also ask Dr. Marie for a second opinion on your pet's condition.