A Lump on a Dog's Head

Christine writes:

WE are looking to buy this beautiful female yellow lab but she has a bump on the top of her head. It causes her no pain and the breeder said it could be a saline cyst or a split bone. Do you think it would be a problem? It is getting smaller since she was born. She is now about 10 months old but no one wants her because of the bump. It is not huge either. Thanks for your advice.

Hi Christine,

There are lots of explanations for a lump on a dog's head. Some are harmless such as a calcium deposit and others are more serious such as a cancerous tumor. Whatever the possibilities are you must have this dog checked by a veterinarian. No sense speculating when it might be serious.

Most reputable breeders provide a written health guarantee that gives you a specified amount of time to have the dog checked by your vet. I recommend not buying this dog without a written health guarantee and I would amend the guarantee to mention the head bump in particular. After buying the dog, take it to your vet immediately and have it checked thoroughly and especially for the bump on its head.

Even with a written guarantee, I would also recommend paying for this dog with a credit card. A credit card purchase makes recovery of your purchase price easier if the seller balks at taking the Lab back should your vet find a serious problem.

Best of luck Christine

Bob