lump on side of paw

Question
Hi, my dog ozzy has a lump on the side of his paw it has been getting bigger now for about 8 weeks it has grown to the size of about the same as his cushions on his paw. He has had all his needles. He is a collie cross with a lab I got him for a kennels and he had bad fleas but I have treated that very well with frontline drops. He is seven months and full of life very mischievous but have noticed him licking his paw alot last few days. He go out for a walk of a morning and of a night. He eats bakers complete dog food. A friend told me to put tea tree oil on it but I am worried it might poison him if he licks his paw.  

Answer
I don't know anything about tea tree oil, so I'm not sure if that would help or not, but I wouldn't put it on him unless your vet says its ok.  I would suggest taking him into the vet to have his paw checked.  He could have an abscess, or it could be something more serious such as cancer.  Until you can get him to the vet, make sure he doesn't lick it.  You can get an Elizabethan collar from your local pet store, or you can put a sock on it - just make sure he doesn't eat it or you'll have even bigger problems.  I hope he gets better.

Amanda