My intact male dog has a groin swelling. Is it hernia or prostate?

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! At the base of the penis, in neutered and unneutered male dogs, a gland called the bulbourethral gland. This is quite common and nothing to be concerned about. Based on the picture you have provided, I would say that this is what you are seeing and is nothing to be concerned about. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Brodie appears to have an abdominal hernia or some kind of mass. As a hernia is a possibility and he is uncomfortable, he needs to be seen by a veterinarian tonight on an emergent basis to assess and address the source of discomfort. If it is a hernia, intestines can get trapped in it and effectively cause an obstruction which would need immediate surgery to minimize risk of the intestines losing blood flow and dying off. Even if it is not a hernia, his discomfort alone is concerning enough to have him seen to help him be more comfortable. Usually, x-rays and/or ultrasound are needed to assess things like this, then further diagnostics and a treatment plan can be made. I hope this helps and that Brodie gets better soon!

This does look like it could be a hernia, although I cannot be 100% certain based on a picture. You can try to gently palpate the area and see if you are able to reduce the swelling by pushing it back in toward the abdominal cavity. If the swelling reduces easily then it is most likely a hernia. If it is firm or painful something else is probably going on. Hernias in young puppies can sometimes resolve on their own but sometimes will need surgery (but not until the pup is older). The danger in leaving a hernia untreated is that a portion of the intestine can become entrapped and lose blood supply. This is usually a life threatening situation. Since you are unable to take him to the vet now just try to keep a very close eye on the swelling. If it becomes firm or painful or if your puppy stops nursing or pooping he will need to be seen by your vet. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

Hi there, I’m sure you are worried about Ben. It is common at that age to develop masses/ lumps. What you describe makes me hopeful that it is either a cyst or a lipoma which is a benign fatty growth. However, there are other more concerning possibilities. I would encourage you to have him evaluated by your veterinarian soon. They will likely discuss doing either an aspirate or a biopsy to decide if this is something to be worried about or not. Best of luck and Thank You for using Pet Coach.

This could be anything from a benign fatty tumor, to an enlarged lymph node, to a hernia, to a mass or other. While it’s unlikely an emergency, I would schedule an appointment with your vet at the earliest convenient appointment. He or she may recommend a cytology (poking the lump with a thin needle and looking at the cells under the microscope). Best of luck to you and Jack!

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.

It could be a hernia, but it is unlikely related to the surgery since we don't handle that area during a routine neuter. I would recommend having the vet check it again if it doesn't improve after the NSAIDs, or sooner if Roman seems painful or stops eating and drinking.