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Why is my dog's spay incision area hard and lumpy after surgery?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Dachshund | Female | spayed | 21 lbs

My dog got spayed 4 days ago. Her belly is hanging down right under her incision and it is hard. Like a lump of some sort. Is this normal?

5 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Dr. Davis

Veterinarian

Published on March 20th, 2018

Yes this is normal. The stitches underneath the skin can cause swelling like you are seeing while they are getting dissolved by the body, The incision itself is healing nicely. She may have this swelling for several weeks before it goes down completely. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Minnie.

24Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Angel Alvarado, LVT
Licensed Veterinary Technician
Published on January 9th, 2017
You may be feeling sutures under her skin. These hold her muscle layer closed and can remain for several weeks. Monitor for rapid change, growth, bruising or bleeding. If she continues to exhibit signs of discomfort, have Maggie rechecked by your vet within the next few days.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Dr. Strydom, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on July 28th, 2019
Thank you for the photos. No, this is nothing to be concerned about. What you are feeling is likely the suture knot under the skin. It will eventually be absorbed by the body and go away. Nothing to worry about. Hope this helps. Best wishes!
27Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Dr Stafford, BVetMed, MRCVS
Veterinarian
Published on April 5th, 2020
Layla's wound looks to be healing nicely. It looks like she is having a mild suture reaction at the very end, likely where the suture is knotted. This is not uncommon and often a little lump forms which then bursts open and sometimes you will see some suture poke out. I would usually recommend going into the vet as often the piece of suture can be pulled out. However given the current circumstances I would keep it clean at home as long as she seems her normal self and there is no pus.
5Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Rebecca, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on June 8th, 2017
It looks like this may be a bit of suture working its way out. Internal sutures are absorbable but sometimes they may not fully break down. If it develops any more redness or swelling you may want to take her to the vet to get it removed but if she isn't licking it or bothered by it you can monitor for a bit to see if it works itself out.
4Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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Related Questions

My spayed Yorkie has hard lumps on her incision. Is it normal?

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.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

My dog's spay incision has a pink bump weeks after surgery. Normal?

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.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Why is there a lump on my dog's spay incision after surgery?

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!

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Health & Wellness

Is a red, painful lump on my dog's spay incision normal?

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).

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Health & Wellness

Is a red bump on my dog's spay incision normal after 9 days?

This appears to be healing just fine. I suspect this is a mild reaction to the stitches under the skin. This is very common. I would only be worried if it opens up and starts draining fluid, gets much larger or becomes very red. Just make sure she cannot lick it until it is completely healed.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Health & Wellness

My dog has pink bumps on spay incision 3 weeks later. Is it normal?

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!

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Health & Wellness

What is this lump on my puppy's spay incision? Is it normal?

Larger dogs or dogs that are playful after a procedure can develop a seroma at the incision site. These firm bumps under the skin at the incision and are not painful. Sometimes they can drain and be fluid-filled. They will go away completely as healing takes place, but it may take a little longer than the normal 10 days for healing. It is still there after 2 weeks, begins to ooze any fluid, or gets noticeably larger, then I would have it rechecked. It's unlikely to be a hernia, particularly if it resolves on it's own. For some dogs, warm (not hot) compresses applied a few times per day can be helpful.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

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