Get the vet to recheck growing spot

Category: Dogs, Pets

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Get the vet to recheck growing spot

Updated Dec 8, 2024

Dear Cathy,

My seven-year old brown Shih Tzu has a black “hot spot” on his right-hind quarter. It was a small dot but has grown to over three-inches and is raised. The vet said not to worry about it, but we are concerned. Is it a mole, is it cancer, is it nothing? While it doesn’t appear to bother “Theo”, we would like a definitive answer.

— Nick, Medford, New York, New York

Dear Nick,

Has your veterinarian seen the hot spot since it turned big and ugly? It may have started out as nothing but could be morphing into something. The change in shape and size is worth a second trip to your veterinarian’s office to find out what’s going on. Even if it’s not serious, your veterinarian may recommend a different course of treatment.

Cathy M. Rosenthal is a longtime animal advocate, children’s author, syndicated pet columnist, and pet expert with more than 30 years in the animal welfare field. Send your pet questions, stories and tips to moc.tidnuptepobfsctd-2b8636@yhtac. Please include your name, city, and state. You can follow her @cathymrosenthal

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Cathy Rosenthal (aka The Pet Pundit), CHES, CFE

Animal Welfare Communications Strategist, Writer & Educator

Cathy M. Rosenthal is an award-winning humane educator and author, animal welfare strategist, pet columnist, and speaker who has spent more than 38 years working in animal welfare with local and national humane organizations. She helps people better understand and care for animals through her nationally syndicated My Pet World column and has been the longtime pet columnist for the San Antonio Express-News since 2003.

In addition to her writing, Cathy develops humane education, leadership, customer service, and compassion fatigue training programs for animal welfare organizations nationwide, and has helped raise millions of dollars through grant writing, strategic communications, and program development.

Cathy is the editor and curator of Humane Perspectives: Leadership in Animal Welfare and is the author of several books, including Grant Writing Boot Camp for Animal Advocates, The Lucky Tale of Two Dogs, and The Happy Tale of Two Cats, which was the 2026 winner of the Association of Professional Humane Educators’ (APHE) "Educator’s Choice Award" for Best Humane Education Book for Young Children. She also received the 2026 APHE Nathania Gartman Heroes Award for Impact in Humane Education. Her humane education programs in Texas have reached more than 45,000 elementary school children since 2019.

She resides in Texas with her husband, their cat Sterling, and a former community cat, Maddie, who successfully negotiated an indoor living arrangement but still considers human affection highly negotiable.