Bump on my Beardie's neck

[Rachel Funez]

Cooper has a small round bump between his shoulder blades. He has a microchip and I was wondering if that could be what it is, but I never noticed it until recently and he's had the microchip for years. Has anyone else had their dog's microchip suddenly change so that you can feel it? Should I take him to the vet?

[Priscilla Potter]

I would take him to the vet -- it may be the chip but you will have peace of mind if you have the vet check him out.

[Charlotte Laning]

If it is the microchip, and I guess they can move a little with time, it is probably a very small bump.

If it is a little bigger, I would guess that it is a sebaceous cyst which some Beardies are prone to getting. It is obviously difficult to say without seeing it. They are filled with a cheesy looking, fatty substance and are harmless. However, sometimes they can get infected or they can be in a place where they may easily get torn and in those cases you may want to have them removed. They are usually about 1-1 1/2 cm in size.

Whether you take the dog to the vet or not is a very personal decision. I would not take a dog to the vet for a small bump, I would keep an eye on it. Would do the same for myself. :-) There are so many reasons for "bumps" and many just go away by themselves. Very few are bad.

Charlotte

[Rachel Funez]

Well, I decided to take Cooper to the vet. (He needed a teeth cleaning anyway). The vet said it was nothing to worry about, so that's good. :-)

[Joy Messner]

Rachel, we seem to be on the same timeline with our beardies. I rescued Henry at the beginning of the month - and had his badly tartared teeth cleaned (he had to have 2 teeth removed) and he had 2 rather sizeable lumps removed - one from his neck behind his ear and the other on his front leg.

[Rachel Funez]

Joy,
Actually I rescued Cooper almost 4 years ago. He did have to have a tooth cleaning and extraction when I rescued him. He was just due for another cleaning. (although he may not have needed it if I had been diligent with brushing). How old is your Henry? He's SO cute! (And it sounds like he's lucky to have you) :-)