Skin Lesion~ Anyone seen this?

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Starlit had a hard knot since late fall.  To me it was just the standard Lab knots that they all get.  I thought she was a little young ( 1 year old) to already be getting fatty tumors but thought nothing after that.   I noticed it changing a little and tried to get  a better look thinking it might be a tick or burr but in the end what I did was aggravate the lump.  (should have listened and left it alone)

Overnight the hard knot became a soft huge mass. From pea size to golf ball size.   We saw the vet and she took all her antibiotics.

It was hard to see under her coat, she clearly was uncomfortable so at the time~  just antibiotics.  There really wasn't much to see.

 

So I need a second ( or 50 more opinions) What do my DK friends think.  

She has lost all her hair around the area~~ way beyond where the wound was.   The surrounding skin is scaly.   The skin has a funny color.  Hard to describe and I certainly do not have a camera that will allow you the best view.   If you can see in close it is black shade around the hole.  Just tissue damage or something else?? 

 

What I am left with is a oozing hole.  Slow oozing but still........   I use Topical antibiotics now.  

Yeah, I know, go to the vet.  I did.  Okay.  But I want your opinion.  Ever seen this on a dog? Those of you in tick areas, does this look familiar?  Any ideas or is it just a bump gone bad? If your dog had a sebaceous cyst does this look familiar?

SCALY SKIN that goes way beyond the wound.   Also, where the heck is the hair?  It is all falling out

This is what I get out before I put the topical antibiotics on.  

UPDATE:

After that last day we saw 100% improvement.  It has healed over, still looks ugly but not active.  The scaling and hair loss is due to the fact that it killed or damage all the hair follicles around the area.  The scaling is going and there is pink skin only.  Raised area around the site is also gone and closed.   The day I posted this must have been the worst of the worst.  Figures!  I am really patient, it went on for a long time, finally post and..................  It gets better from then on.

COMMON is furry dogs, found in poodles, and expect more.  YES, we have several more going on.

As for that bald spot, well we can just glue some hair on for pictures if it does not grow back.  She has plenty.

 

[Jennifer,Chloe & Myla]

My dad just had something removed form his dogs's paw that they claim was just a cyst but got real big real fast, no hair loss though. It seems like it's irritated a lot, hope she feels better-2nd opinion maybe??? Take care

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

Lucy had some bumps that had a tiny pin hole at the top that looked like it had a black dot in the center.  I squeezed them and some white thick paste type gunk came out, with a tiny bit of blood.  I did this like maybe 2 or 3 times (she had 3 of them) and then they cleared up.  no hair loss or enlarged hole.  I talked to the vet and she said unless she got a bunch of them there was nothing to worry about.  Didn't look this bad though and never got as large as you mentioned either.  I think I'd have to go to the vet with this.

[F, Calla & Luca]

I'm sorry I have no idea. I don't think it seems like a tick did this.What is the tannish granular material in the surrounding area? I would clean the whole area thoroughly and then I would leave it completely alone for a few days. If it hasn't started to heal on it's own then I'm afraid It's back to the vet. But don't keep poking at it now. The big picture shows it's not as huge as it looks at first. If it's no longer infected, and since it has decreased in size, maybe it will granulate in and resolve.

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

Actually it looks very much like a wound that my daughter's Golden Retriever had.  Apparently as a puppy (before she got him) he scratched himself on a nail.  It scabbed over and looked okay when she got him - it was just a bump.  Then after a few months it started to get larger and the hair around it fell out.  Then it "opened" and there was an actual oozing hole.  Several trips to the vet and lots of rounds of antibiotics (topical and pills) never completely addressed it.  Eventually the Vet had to actually surgically clean the wound and then close it up with stitches.  I'm hoping that isn't the case with Starlit, and the antibiotics do the trick.  The funny thing with her Golden was that as sore as it looked his wound never seemed to bother him much.  It certainly never slowed him down.

[Maria & Xena]

Hey Joanne  - did your vet ever culture this to see what it is? Hard to tell by the picture but it looks like an abcess - esp if it's getting bigger. Is there an odor? I agree with a 2nd opinion if it hasnt cleared up. Xena has a few sebaceous cysts & I made them aspirate each one & look at it under a scope. Just wanted to make sure that was all it was. Turned out to be cystic & nothing. Hers never looked like this and they never opened up even after the aspiration. If it wasnt cultured that should be the first thing they do.

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

That's a great point.....I know they did this with my daughter's Golden Retriever.  I believe they also did a biopsy just as a safeguard.

[Linda and Murphy]

Joanne, this definitely tops the eye goobers.

 IMHO, it looks like it should be cultured at least.

Is there any chance there is a foreign body in there? 

This is NOT what I think is going on with Starlit but:

Many years ago, our Brittany came home in horrible shape. I actually thought an alligator had punctured his muzzle. It was awful. But there was this small puncture wound on his chest ...the least of his worries. His head healed, but months later the chest wound was still healing over and draining. We went through several rounds of antibiotics. One of the vets I work with said to bring him in and he would look at him. He did and said perhaps there was a "foreign body" in it. (In my ignorance I didn't get it.) Like what?  a bullet. He did an X-Ray and there it was. He was shot through the muzzle and it went into his chest. He lived 10 years after that.

[F, Calla & Luca]

Holy toledo!

[shelly]

OMD!!!!! Linda!  Wow!

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Joanne, I have never seen this before either, but I hope Starlit feels better soon.

[Michele, Biscuit & Mo]

Geez, Joanne, wish I could help.  Penny has had lots of cysts of various sizes, but not one this red and scaly.  I'm thinking it might be a tick bite.  I'd think the vet would recognize it.  Hope poor Starlit feels better soon!

[Michele, Biscuit & Mo]

Joanne - I just Googled "dog tick bite" for images and there were lots that looked similar to Starlit's.  You might check it out...