Many older dogs have skin tags, just like older people, and do not need veterinary attention. Even a black skin tag on a dog is usually harmless, although sometimes people choose to remove skin tags for cosmetic reasons. An exception to the general harmless rule is a skin tag on the dog’s eyelid.
Skin tags on a dog’s eyelid may require veterinary intervention. At that location, skin tags can rub or irritate the cornea, causing eye discharge and/or corneal abrasion. If you notice that the dog’s eye appears red or if your dog is rubbing his eye, you should see your vet immediately.
Technically, skin tags are fibrovascular papillomas. They are most commonly seen in poodles, cocker spaniels, and miniature schnauzers or mixes of these breeds. Dog fur tag color can vary with the fur from which the tag grows.
Skin tag or tick
Skin tags and ticks on your dog may look similar, but ticks are generally brown with a reddish or gray tinge, while skin tags tend to be the same color as the dog’s skin. If necessary, use a magnifying glass and look for legs on the spot. If you see legs, it is a tick and you should remove it carefully.
removing dog skin tags at home
While few skin tags require removal, none need to be removed at home. Removal may be painful, bloody, and leave an open sore that may require a visit to the vet and antibiotics.
Unless a skin tag is in an area where it becomes irritated and can ulcerate, such as around a necklace, they are usually left alone. Perform a monthly exam on your dog to watch for changes in skin tags. Growth, irritation, ulceration, and chewing or licking in an area are reasons to get a quick vet checkup.
If your vet has any concerns about a skin tag, they will either perform a needle biopsy or remove the tag. Removal can be done surgically, with laser, or by electrocautery. If your dog is receiving anesthesia for another reason, you can ask your vet to remove any warts that are bothering your dog (or you), though this will be an additional cost. See also “How to find a mole on your dog” and “Skin lesions and cancer”.
What is that skin thing?
| skin lesion | Appearance | Color | Size |
| Mole | Fairly flat against the skin with a broad base; flat surface | Pink, white, gray or black | about a quarter inch in diameter |
| skin tag | They protrude from the skin, usually connected by a thin stalk; can be smooth or irregular | Normally the same color as the skin. | A little smaller than the tip of a pencil eraser |
| Tick | As a brown dot with tiny legs that grows larger as the tick feeds on blood. | Reddish brown to greyish brown | From almost microscopic to the side of a sesame seed with growth as it feeds |
| Wart | It usually has a cauliflower-like appearance; starts as a small flat bump that grows larger and becomes irregular | White, grey, pink or dark | It starts out small and gets bigger and bumpier; can appear in groups, so size varies |
| Cancer | The colors, sizes, and appearances of cancerous lesions vary widely. Any growth that you are not sure you identify should be evaluated by your vet as soon as it is found. The faster a cancerous or precancerous growth is removed, the better the dog’s prognosis. |
