Does My Dog Have a Skin Tag? What to Know and When to Act

Spotting a new lump or bump on your dog is enough to send most pet parents into a spiral. The good news: if it’s small, soft, and attached by a thin stalk, there’s a strong chance it’s a skin tag, one of the most common and harmless skin growths dogs develop. Here’s what you need to know.

What is a skin tag on a dog?

A skin tag is a small, benign skin growth made up of collagen fibers, blood vessels, and skin cells. The medical terms for them are acrochordons or fibrovascular papillomas, but all that really means is a harmless flap of skin that forms when tissue grows outward rather than staying flat.

They’re soft, usually flesh-colored or slightly pink, and attached to the skin by a thin stalk. They’re not tumors, not cancerous, and in most cases not anything to lose sleep over. They just tend to show up more as dogs get older, and once you know what you’re looking at, they’re usually easy to recognize.

Symptoms: What to Look For

Skin tags can vary a little in appearance depending on where they are and how long they’ve been there. Here’s what’s typical:

• Soft and stalk-like: Skin tags feel soft and pliable and are connected to the skin by a narrow stalk, which gives them a dangling or pedunculated appearance. A growth that’s firm, flat, or deeply rooted is likely something different.
• Small in size: Most skin tags are just a few millimeters, roughly the size of a grain of rice or a small pea. They can grow larger over time, but significant or rapid growth is a reason to get things checked.
• Flesh-colored or slightly pink: They’re typically close to your dog’s natural skin tone, though they can appear slightly darker. Any growth that’s red, purple, or changing color warrants a vet visit.
• Where they show up: Skin tags most commonly appear in high-friction areas: under the collar, in the armpits, on the chest, in the groin, between the toes, around the eyes, and in skin folds.
• Types worth knowing about: Not all skin tags look identical. Fibrovascular papillomas tend to appear on the face and eyelids; follicular hamartomas show up as flat, hairy clusters more common in older dogs; fibroadnexal hamartomas are hairless growths typically found on the limbs.

If a growth is changing in size, shape, or color, or if your dog keeps licking, scratching, or chewing at it, that’s your cue to call the vet.

Why do dogs get skin tags?

There’s no single cause for skin tags in dogs. Several factors tend to contribute:

• Friction and chronic irritation: Repeated rubbing from collars, harnesses, or skin folds is one of the most common triggers. This is why skin tags so often appear right where a collar sits.
• Allergies: Chronic skin irritation from flea, food, or environmental allergies can create conditions that make skin tags more likely to develop.
• Age: Skin tags become more common as dogs get older. Middle-aged and senior dogs develop them far more frequently than younger dogs.
• Breed and genetics: Some breeds are more predisposed than others, including Cocker Spaniels, Poodles, Miniature Schnauzers, Boxers, and Beagles, though any dog can develop them.
• Hormonal changes: Shifts in hormone levels can activate overactive fibroblast cells, the cells responsible for producing collagen, which may contribute to skin tag formation.
• Papillomavirus: In some cases, the papillomavirus can trigger certain types of skin growths, though it more commonly causes warts than true skin tags.

Skin tags vs. other skin growths

One of the trickiest things about skin tags is that other, more serious growths can look remarkably similar. Here’s how to tell them apart, and when to let your vet make the call:

• Ticks: Easy to mistake for a small skin tag, especially before they’ve fed. The key difference: ticks have legs and will move slightly when touched. Always check for legs before assuming a new bump is a skin tag.
• Warts: Caused by the papillomavirus, warts have a rougher, cauliflower-like texture compared to the smooth surface of a skin tag.
• Cysts: Firmer and rounder than skin tags, cysts sit beneath the skin rather than protruding from it on a stalk.
• Lipomas: Soft fatty lumps that sit deeper under the skin, rather than attached to the surface by a stalk.
• Nipples: Easy to mistake on a dog you’ve recently adopted or haven’t examined closely before. If you find a matching one on the other side of the body, that’s likely what it is.
• Mast cell tumors or melanomas: These can look deceptively similar to skin tags but may bleed, grow quickly, or change in appearance. This is the most important reason not to assume every small growth is harmless, and to have your vet take a look.

Diagnosis: What to expect at the vet

In most cases, a vet can identify a skin tag by simply looking at it. If there’s any doubt, they might take a sample (biopsy) to rule out more serious conditions.

If the skin tag isn’t causing any issues, you don’t need to do anything. But if removal is necessary-whether for medical or cosmetic reasons-your vet may recommend:

• Surgical excision: The vet removes the skin tag with a scalpel or surgical laser, usually under local or general anesthesia.
• Cryotherapy: The tag is frozen with liquid nitrogen until it falls off.
• Electrocautery: The tag is burned off using heat.

Never attempt to remove a skin tag at home, as this could cause bleeding, infection, or accidentally disturb a more serious growth.

Treatment: How skin tags are managed

If the skin tag isn’t causing any problems, the standard recommendation is simply to leave it alone and monitor it. Most skin tags stay small, don’t cause discomfort, and never need intervention.

Removal may be recommended if:

• The growth is in a location that causes persistent irritation or discomfort
• Your dog keeps licking, scratching, or chewing at it
• It’s bleeding or showing signs of infection
• Your vet wants to biopsy it to rule out something more serious
• It’s positioned on the eyelid and affecting your dog’s vision or comfort

When removal is needed, your vet may use one of the following approaches:

• Surgical excision: The skin tag is removed using a scalpel or laser, typically under local or general anesthesia depending on the size and location.
• Cryotherapy: The growth is frozen with liquid nitrogen until it detaches naturally.
• Electrocautery: The tag is removed using targeted heat, which also seals the wound.

Skin tags are often removed alongside another procedure, like a dental cleaning, when your dog is already under anesthesia, which makes it a practical time to address them.

One important note: never try to remove a skin tag at home. Cutting, tying off, or otherwise interfering with a growth risks bleeding, infection, and, most critically, accidentally disturbing something that turns out to be more serious than a skin tag.

Prevention: Reducing the risk

There’s no guaranteed way to prevent skin tags, but a few habits can reduce the conditions that make them more likely:

• Use well-fitted, soft collars and harnesses that don’t dig into or rub the skin
• Provide soft, supportive bedding to reduce friction on elbows and pressure points
• Keep allergies managed. Chronic skin inflammation creates a more hospitable environment for skin tags to develop
• Feed a balanced diet rich in essential fatty acids and protein to support healthy skin
• Keep your dog at a healthy weight to minimize skin folds and friction

Are skin tags on dogs covered by pet insurance?

Vet exams, biopsies, and removal procedures can add up quickly, especially if your vet wants to run diagnostics to rule out something more serious. Having coverage in place before something comes up is what makes pet insurance genuinely useful in situations like this.

Lemonade’s dog health insurance may help cover the cost of diagnosing and treating skin growths, including eligible vet exams and diagnostic procedures, as part of a base accident and illness policy. Coverage details depend on your specific plan, so it’s worth reviewing your policy or reaching out to the Lemonade team with any questions.

If you don’t have coverage yet, this is a good reminder that pet insurance works best when it’s in place before a diagnosis, not after.

Before we go

Skin tags on dogs are rarely cause for alarm. Most are completely harmless and never need treatment. The key is knowing what a skin tag looks like, keeping an eye on any growth that changes or starts bothering your dog, and getting a vet’s opinion any time something new appears or doesn’t look quite right.

You know your dog better than anyone. If a bump doesn’t look like it belongs there, or something about it just feels off, trust that instinct and give your vet a call.

A few quick words, because we <3 our lawyers: This post is general in nature, and any statement in it doesn’t alter the terms, conditions, exclusions, or limitations of the policies issued, which differ according to your state of residence. You’re encouraged to discuss your specific circumstances with your own professional advisors. The purpose of this post is merely to provide you with info and insights you can use to make such discussions more productive! Naturally, all comments by, or references to, third parties represent their own views, and Lemonade assumes no responsibility for them. Coverage may not be available in all states. Please note that statements about coverages, policy management, claims processes, Giveback, and customer support apply to policies underwritten by Lemonade Insurance Company or Metromile Insurance Company, a Lemonade company, sold by Lemonade Insurance Agency, LLC.  The statements do not apply to policies underwritten by other carriers.