Dog’s sebaceous cysts nothing too serious
As our small cockapoo mix dog has gotten older, all sorts of skin growths have started to appear, but the ones that freak me out the most are the ones that burst periodically.
Our vet calls them sebaceous cysts and says we don’t need to worry about them as they are not cancerous, but we always worry about infection. Along with the other new fatty growths and skin growths, which should be removed?
These cysts sometimes look like there’s a hole in the skin and my vet might squeeze them like a pimple. When one bursts, I take the dog to the vet and after being cleaned up they usually resolve, occasionally needing antibiotics.
Are they painful to my dog? Lastly, how common are these cysts and do all breeds get them?
Sebaceous cysts in dogs are small pockets that form in and under the skin, can vary in size, and can crop up almost anywhere on the dog’s body. They are, as you were properly told, benign and usually harmless other than the occasional infection that can be somewhat painful. All breeds can be affected and they are quite common.
As you describe, they occasionally burst open and can recur in the same location. The discharge that emanates from the open or ruptured cyst looks cheesy and can vary from white to tan to brown.
What causes them is when the hair follicle is misdirected or blocked off by dirt, debris or even the natural sebum produced by glands that surround the follicle then the normal secretions have nowhere to go and wall off as a cyst. When you notice them, they have walled themselves off and may or may not continue to expand with more material.
If they get larger, sheer pressure may cause them to rupture which in turn may or may not lead to infection. I would never advise you to squeeze them out yourself because that itself may cause infection. Your veterinarian will either treat them as necessary with antibiotics and medications for pain and inflammation or they might suggest surgical removal of those cysts that are problematic, as well as any other of the growths that seem to be developing.
As your dog ages and more growths appear, be sure to have them assessed since one never knows what they might be.