What's this hard lump on my dog's side that feels like a broken rib?

If this lump is at the bottom of his rib cage, what you may be feeling on Buster is his xyphoid process. This is a normal part of a dog's anatomy, and not something to be concerned about at all. If you are concerned, you can always take Buster into the vet to have it examined.

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear about Nala. Hard to tell from just one picture but I see the protrusion of the rib cage. The last rib on the rib cage is what we call a "floating rib" because it doesn't connect to the sternum or breastbone. This protrusion looks more towards the front of the rib cage in this picture. The best advice here is to let your veterinarian take a detailed history and perform a complete physical exam. They may advise some chest x-rays to evaluate the structure of the ribs and look for any problems. Some rib cage abnormalities are not significant and some are. It just depends on their severity and what exactly the abnormality is. It's possible some injury occurred during birth or playing to account for this. Really hard to tell at this point. I would let your vet check this out and I would do it ASAP if this is something that just came on suddenly and Nala has any degree of breathing problems. Good luck and I hope this is just a structural problem and won't lead to any health problems.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Precious. Definitely ask her veterinarian about it tomorrow. If it feels firm like bone, you could be feeling the edge of a rib or her sternum. I have had patients with abnormally shaped ribs where you can feel a protrusion on one side, but not the other. She could also have a mass under her skin. In this case, her veterinarian will want to test it prior to her dental. If it is potentially cancerous, it could be removed at the same time. I hope this information helps!

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!

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 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.

Any lumps/bumps that you notice on your dog should be checked out by your vet. Lumps can be any of these things: * abscess (infection) * cyst * cancer (benign or malignant) * wart * injection site reaction * hernia There is no way I can tell you what it is just based on your description but I highly doubt it is from the rabies vaccination. That vaccine is standardly given by all veterinarians in the outside of the right hind leg (thigh area). So, being that it is near the rib cage and not seemingly bothering her I would guess it to be a cyst but again, I don't know for sure. I suggest you take her to your vet to have it checked when you can get an appointment. It is not an emergency.