My dog has a hard, movable lump two months after spay. What is it?

Thank you for providing a picture of Mabel's incision! This small lump could be a local tissue reaction from an internal suture, scar tissue, a seroma (fluid in the dead space from a surgery), or a cyst. I'm not sure if the lump is hard or soft. The incision itself looks like it healed beautifully, but i would have this lump checked out by the vet to be safe. The vet can diagnose what is causing it and if it needs any treatment. Good luck, I hope this helps!

It looks like there could be some inflammation at the site of the incision. That could be due to her body breaking down the sutures, or she caused some sort of trauma to the area. If she is acting normal and you don't feel any swelling around that area I would wait and see if it improves. But if there is swelling, drainage, or pain I would worry about a dehiscence (opening of the incision) which would be an emergency and she should see a vet immediately.

Hi there! It sounds like you're a very good friend to Athena and care very much. This looks very much like a suture reaction, or a reaction to the material of her internal stitches. The stitches we use inside the body are absorbable, and eventually break down in the tissues. Sometimes, they can cause an inflammatory reaction when this happens that looks a lot like this. If the reaction or breakdown is too soon, we risk the possibility of a hernia, etc. there is a possibility (smaller but still there) that the suture broke down a bit before it was noticed and with her exertion it just pushed its way a bit more open. If she is unbothered and has not changed in size it could probably wait until your appointment. I would recommend keeping her exercise very restricted in the meantime though-no stairs, no running outside just leash walks, etc. if you are still concerned, you can always call her doctor and see if they can get you in a bit sooner. Hope this helps!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. The picture is a bit grainy and discolored so it is difficult to say for sure what the problem is. However, with your description, what you are feeling are likely the knots of the suture at the top and bottom portion of the incision line. These knots can sometimes cause inflammation due to a slight suture reaction. If the incision is not open, then I would just monitor for now. If the incision is red, inflamed or there is pus present, then I would have Huggle rechecked by the veterinarian that did the procedure. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction! If the bumps are indeed due to the suture and they do not worsen, you should see those disappear over the next few months hopefully. Complete absorption of the suture I use in my spay procedures takes about 3-4 months to occur. However, absorption time depends on the type of suture used.

The vet most likely used a suture material for the spay that takes a very long time to dissolve (like PDS) and she is having a reaction to that suture material that is still left there. I would not be worried about this unless it abscesses and opens. For now, just monitor it.

This doesn't look perfect but definitely does not look too bad either, there is some bulging as you mentioned, probably because the stitches have been put on a little too tight, as long as the stitches hold though i would not be too worried, you need to make sure she does not lick the area (i assume she has an E-collar on) and make sure the incision does not open up, the swelling should start resolving within a couple days from now. as long as it does not look worse than this i would be ok keeping her at home, you can still take her for short walks without any issues and your vet needs to see her at some point but it is not urgent (usually post opps are done 3 days and 10 days after the surgery).

It is not uncommon for dogs to have a mild reaction to under the skin sutures. As long as there is no pain, discharge, odor, or opening of the areas with suture sticking out, it will likely resolve with time. It takes a long time for sutures to dissolve. See your vet if she is bothering the area or you notice any of the signs above. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!