My dog has a fluid-filled lump on his rib cage. What is it?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This could be a benign or malignant growth. This is often differentiated by a test called a fine needle aspirate (FNA) which is a pain free, inexpensive and easy procedure which in most cases will help reach a diagnosis. Sometimes a biopsy is needed for a definitive diagnosis. I recommend that you have him evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. I am really hoping for something benign. Good luck and have a good day!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This could be a benign or malignant growth. There is no way of knowing what it is just based on its appearance. This is often differentiated by a test called a fine needle aspirate (FNA) which is a pain free, inexpensive and easy procedure which in most cases will help reach a diagnosis. Sometimes a biopsy is needed for a definitive diagnosis. I recommend that you have her evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. I am really hoping for something benign. Good luck and have a good night!

Poor Roxy. I would recommend taking Roxy to a vet to make sure the area that is swollen is nothing to be concerned about. After trauma it is possible a hematoma (blood filled pocket), broken rib, damaged muscle or even abscess (infection) are possible. A vet can aspirate the mass and make sure it is nothing serious or if it needs medications dispense it. Hope that helps. thanks for using pet coach

Thank you for submitting your question regarding your dog. I would recommend that he/she sees a veterinarian to rule any serious injuries from being hit by the motorcycle. It could be a swelling from a collection of fluid under the skin known as a seroma. This can happen when tissues are bruised and inflamed such as secondary to trauma. In this case, the swelling should not be painful to the dog and resolve given time. A more serious consideration would be if there is a tear in the abdominal wall. In this case, the internal organs can migrate under the skin. This can be life threatening. Finally, your dog could have a mass that has occurred coincidentally around the time of the crash, but is unrelated. A fatty tumor called a lipoma is a common growth under the skin. Your veterinarian will be able to differentiate between these scenarios and recommend any necessary treatment. I hope this information helps!

This could be a bruise from and injury, a cyst, an insect bite or an abscess. As long as it's not painful, red or getting bigger then I would just keep an eye on it. I expect it will get smaller daily and should be gone in a few days to a week. If it doesn't get smaller or changes then a veterinary exam is recommended. With your description this is nothing I would be concerned about. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Merlin.

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. 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). Differentials include skin cysts, infections, benign (very common hystiocytoma for example) or more sinister type of tumors (unlikely given the 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. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

This could be a cyst or a benign tumor. 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. I would give Lily's vet a call in the morning to make her an appointment. Best of luck.