My 8 week old blue pit pup has developed a lump in the scruff of his neck over night, any idea what it is or how to fix it?

by Charlotte
(Tennessee)

We have 3 puppies, 2 8 week old blue pits and an 8 month old catahoula leopard dog. One of my pits has developed a lump in the scruff of his neck, like a knot in a human shoulder just in the past few hours....

We left him and his brother in the crate(it's a crate for an extra large dog) while we went out for a little bit, and when we came home we noticed it while we were petting them (it's not really visibly noticeable) and if you press on it he cries a little ...

Any ideas?








Hi Charlotte
It's very difficult to say as there are several possibilities, you'll need to take this little guy to a veterinarian to get a definitive diagnosis.

However, if he's recently had his puppy shots (ie within the last day or two), then this lump could simply be a localized - and very common - reaction at the site of the vaccination. These type of 'knots' or lumps can last anywhere from a few days to a few weeks, even a month or more, but they're nothing to worry about.

Or it could be that his brother nipped him and broke the skin while they were playing at some point and an infection has set in. If you can see broken skin/redness/inflammation or if the area feels hot then this may be the problem. Antibiotics would be probably be needed from your vet in that situation.

Or it could be a small sebaceous cyst, these are a build-up of fatty cells and cysts like this can pop up overnight, usually disappearing just as suddenly.

However, as I said your vet is the only one who can say for sure what this lump is, so if you're at all worried (and definitely if your pup is showing any signs of feeling unwell) get him checked out.

Hope this helps, best of luck with your puppy.