My puppy has a soft, warm, movable lump near her rib cage. What is it?

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.

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!

I wouldn't worry about the lump just yet, but I would have it checked out by the vet on Monday. This lump could be a cyst, an abscess, a lipoma, 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 it's 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 vet diagnoses the cause of the lump, they can discuss treatment with you.

This could be a skin reaction to a sting or bite, or a cyst or a little abscess or in fact a small tumor or wart. I suggest you observe the spot weekly, and if it changes in size or color or if it starts to hurt or the skin around it turns red, then you should have it examined by your veterinarian. If it stays the same or gets smaller, then it is likely nothing you have to worry about and you can show it to your vet the during the next routine visit.

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!

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.

Bumps can be benign, as you know. If your veterinarian has any concerns that this is more than just a lipoma, then they will likely recommend removal. The goal would be complete removal and hopefully be curative. But you can’t make a plan until she is examined. I would not wait until December, I would go in early and see what your doctor has to say about it. Best of luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.