Hi there! My name is XXXX, XXX I would be happy to help you with your question about Cardy.

Does he have any bald spots or lumps anywhere else on his body?

You've described it as raised. Does it seem like there's fluid inside or that it might be a lump, or is it only slightly raised, like the skin is a little bit irritated?

You've said it's been getting better - has it been shrinking in size, or is the hair growing back over it?

Okay! Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions! Let me go over some possibilities with you, and some steps you can take to help this situation!

First, I should say that anytime you find a lump, it is a good idea to go into the vet and have something called a "fine needle aspirate" done. This is a simple procedure where the vet sticks a small needle inside the lump and pulls out a few cells to look at under the microscope. They'll be able to give the most accurate assessment of the cells that comprise the lmp, and whether it is something that you need to be concerned about. That being said:

The nose is an area that dogs tend to rub against things when they have an itch. Sometimes they can scratch it enough that the spot on their nose can grow red and irritated, and they can rub the hair off. The key to putting a stop to this is by discovering why the dog is rubbing in the first place.

If it is localized in one area, it could be a small bacterial infection that is causing some discomfort which may be causing Cardy to rub his nose up against things. You can try cleaning the area with an antibacterial soap and put a small bit of antibacterial cream on it to see if that helps clear up the issue. However, if he keeps rubbing it, it will continue to be inflamed. So an e-collar might be needed to help prevent him from rubbing while this area is healing.

There are many, many things which can cause these little spots to occur. Contact allergies, food allergies, flea allergies, inhalation allergies, mites, and fungal infections tend to be the most common.

The e-collar is the rounded cone collar that covers their head, past their nose just like the buster collar. :)

If the collar combined with the antibacterial soap and ointment don't work, you might wish to consider taking Cardy in to the vet to have a fine needle aspirate done, and have the site tested for fungal infections like ringworm and skin scrapings to eliminate the possibility of mites.

I hear you! Cancer is a very scary consideration! That is one of the possibilities that a fine needle aspirate can help eliminate. However, there are so many other benign possibilities that can cause small lumps that are far more common.