What am I feeling when I press my dog's belly? Organ or hernia?

If he is having abdominal pain then he really should be examined by a vet to determine he cause. He could have an infection, pancreatitis, kidney disease, liver disease, etc and your vet can run labeork and take an X-ray to help diagnose. Hope he feels better soon.

This lump/growth should be ideally examined by your veterinarian to have a definitive diagnosis. Your vet will examine it and possibly perform with an FNA (fine needle aspiration) or a biopsy. Differentials would include skin cyst, infections or benign or malignant type of tumors. 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. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

What you describe that your vet said is an abdominal hernia. It is a small hole in the muscles that hole the guts inside the body and allows loops of small intestine or other organs to fall through. That is quite possible. Another possibility would be a large, fatty tumor (lipoma) or other tumor. The only way to know for sure is to do diagnostics and an exam with a vet. In any case, I would recommend getting it fixed. If there are intestines in there, they are at risk of reduced blood supply, which would require emergency surgery. If it is a tumor, even a benign one, it can continue to get larger and outgrow its blood supply, again requiring extensive surgery. The wounds on the mass right now are likely caused from normal movement and Karat simply laying down on it. It is a reason I recommend having it dealt with now before things get worse.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This may be actually something abnormal in Lucy's abdomen though keep in mind that this may also represent a normal abdominal organ that you have not palpated before like the spleen which is sometimes easily palpable in a puppy. I recommend that you have Lucy evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment. Hopefully it is nothing. Good luck and have a good night!

Poor guy. The left lower side of the belly is where the bladder normally sits, but unsure exactly where you are touching on the body without seeing or feeling myself. The exact location is key because certain organs lie in certain positions. However with just this symptom of discomfort from touching I would have to assume that an internal organ (perhaps the bladder) is painful. He should however have other symptoms like excessive urination, excessive drinking or foul smelling urine to corroborate the pain elicited during palpating the belly. If this is the case then a urinalysis and exam would be the best course of action to evaluate the urine and treat any abnormalities seen with appropriate and selective medication. If the bladder does not seem to be the organ in mind, then a further evaluation by a vet to feel the belly is recommended, especially if your pet has any other symptoms of illness. However keep in mind, that if you notice any swelling of the belly or dissension and your pet is acting completely normal, then this should still be seen because organomegaly (enlarged organs), fluid in the belly or a growth (mass) is highly suspected and its best to look into this with a professional exam.

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.

I'm concerned this ball could be something serious like a growth. This growth could be malignant or benign. Any suspicious lumps should be examined by the vet. The vet can perform a test called a fine needle aspirate on it. To do this, the vet sticks a small needle into the lump to get a sample of its cells, and examines the cells on a slide under a microscope. It's usually painless to the animal, and relatively quick to perform. Once the cause of the lump is diagnosed, the vet can discuss treatment options if needed. Give Princess's vet a call to make him an appointment.