My dog has a belly lump he keeps licking. Is it a hernia or tumor?

A lump in this location could be a mammary tumor. These are growths in the breast tissue. They can be benign or malignant. I always recommend surgical removal because they continue to grow, even if they are not cancerous. Another possibility would be a hernia. If this is a hernia, surgery would be recommended to repair it because organs such as intestines, bladder or uterus can become entrapped. I would recommend an evaluation by a veterinarian to determine what it is and make recommendations on how to treat it.

When internal organs slip through an umbilical hernia, the swelling tends to become larger very quickly and is very painful. That does not seem to be the case with Charlie which is good. Umbilical hernias are normally present at birth and should not develop later in life. This swelling also looks like it is a little higher than his umbilicus, so it may not be an umbilical hernia. Depending on what your vet thinks, they may perform a fine needle aspirate to collect a few cells and decide what it is and if anything needs to be done about it. If it is a benign mass, they may not recommend any treatment. If they think it may be a hernia or if they see any concerning cells, they may recommend surgery. Hopefully your vet appointment will put your mind at ease. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

This looks like an umbilical hernia, quite common and usually not serious in dogs. It is usually recommended to repair it when general anesthetic is performed for castration. Anyway, generally speaking, this kind of lump/growth needs to be ideally assessed by your veterinarian to have a definitive and specific answer. Usually there are two ways your vet can do that a part from examining it directly during physical examination (if it is an hernia physical examination will be enough). A biopsy can be taken under local or general anesthetic, otherwise a smaller sample through a fine needle can be aspirated (this technique is called FNA= fine needle aspiration). Other differentials include skin cysts, infections, benign or more sinister type of tumors (unlikely if Ichirou is under 5 years of age). Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

Hello there from across the pond! Lumps and bumps on older dogs are fairly typical and are to be expected with an older pet. By and large, lumps and bumps that are round, smooth, and/or freely movable generally speaking are not causes for alarm. However, lumps and bumps that become red, inflamed, warm to the touch, itchy, have rough edges, are rapidly growing, or have discharge coming from them need to be looked at by a veterinarian and have them assessed. Regardless, I would recommend your veterinarian take a look at Chester and take small sample of the small mass he has and look at it under a microscope. From there, your vet can determine the nature of the mass and if it is concerning. You may also discuss surgical removal of the small mass if that is recommended by your vet. I hope this has helped!

A testicular tumor will need to be removed surgically by a veterinarian. This is a relatively simple procedure, usually achieved by castration. Re the mass at the belly button: This may be an umbilical hernia which can be fixed at the same time as the tumor is removed. If you gently press on the mass and it can be pushed back into the abdomen, it is a hernia. Both of these conditions need to be fixed surgically.

I am sorry to hear about your concern for Mia! A photo may help give us a little more information about what could be going on with her. A lump could be something like an abscess or site of infection, a hernia (a small hole in the muscle wall of the abdomen where internal structures or fat may poke through), or a mass (we can have benign masses/tumors such as lipomas that are just fat and not a health concern and we can have masses/tumors that are malignant and can spread and require removal). I would recommend taking her in for your vet to examine the area. They may recommend what is called a "needle aspirate" where a small needle is inserted into the mass to collect cells to help determine the cause of the lump.

Hello. The problem with a possible hernia is if it is large enough, intestines can become trapped in the sac. The itching concerns me as, but I can not say how it may be related to a hernia. What does concern me is having a large lump of any kind in an older pet. I think this is something that should be investigated further. If your current vet does not seem to be overly concerned about this, then a second opinion at another practice would be a good idea. See what their diagnosis is & then go from there, but I do not think I would just ignore this. Thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.