Why does my spayed dog have a changing bump on her lower belly?

Hi, and thanks for your question. This could be due to an allergy, although it could also be infection or mites. First of all, in order to rule out skin parasites, you will need to treat with a high quality flea treatment, then ask the vet to perform a skin scrape - this might reveal an infection or a mite infestation. If all of those came back negative, the next step is to treat the allergy symptomatically and try to discover the cause of the allergy. Three main type of allergies are usually affecting pets: food allergies, flea and parasite related ones and environmental type (allergens coming from trees, pollens, dust etc etc). Some medications can be given by the vet in order to repair any possible skin lesions (like steroids and antibiotics). 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'm wondering if the 'pimple' in the first picture is potentially part of her spay scar and a suture reaction if she was recently adopted and spayed. You may be able to feel some 'firm' tissue beneath this area if that is the case. It's also possible that this is a small skin mass that has become infected. Dogs can develop milia, but milia are most commonly seen when there is excess cortisol due to a disease like Cushing's. The milia do not typically require treatment but the underlying disease does. Cushing's is common in middle aged to older dogs and other signs include increased thirst, hunger and urination. I think it would be a good idea to have a veterinarian examine her skin to make sure treatment for an infection isn't necessary, and to discuss testing for Cushing's disease if she is showing any other signs.

That has nothing to do with the surgery or shaving. It is kind of like a pimple; a minor skin infection. It should go away on it's own but if you want to put something on it I would suggest these medicated pads. These are great to have around for all kinds of skin issues anyway! ( https://www.allivet.com/p-5393-douxo-chlorhexidine-3-ps-pads-for-dogs-and-cats-30.aspx?SearchTerm=duoxo%20pad+Auto ) Hope this helps. Best wishes!

Poor girl. It looks like she has a severe allergic skin reaction and secondary bacterial infection of her skin. I wouldn't suspect her c-section and incision site are the cause of this. However, to get rid of this infection and help control her allergic reaction, she will need to see your vet for prescription medications. Until you can get her seen, it is best to clean these areas with Betadine diluted 50:50 with warm water or better yet Chlorhexidine solution 2 or 3% diluted until a really light blue mixture and then rinsed with sterlie saline. Allow either the Betadine or Chlorhex solution to stay on the skin for 3-5 mins before rinsing with the saline. Once at the vet you can then get her on much needed antibiotics to fully resolve this infection. I do hope that Lola's skin infection and allergies resolve soon! Best of luck moving forward and take care.

This is probably due to an allergy, although it could also be infection or mites. First of all, in order to rule out skin parasites, you will need to treat with a high quality flea treatment (advocate or advantage), then ask the vet to perform a skin scrape - this might reveal an infection or a mite infestation. If all of those came back negative, the next step is to treat the allergy symptomatically and try to discover the cause of the allergy. Three main type of allergies are usually affecting pets: food allergies, flea and parasite related ones and environmental type (allergens coming from trees, pollens, dust etc etc). Some medications can be given by the vet in order to repair any possible skin lesions (like steroids and antibiotics). 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.

It depends a little on where these are and what they feel like. I am assuming under the skin if felt but not seen. If they are back in the groin/where the leg and groin meet and are on opposite sides from each other then they may be inguinal lymph nodes. If this is the case, especially if you're finding any other lymph node enlargement (the ones under the jaw are the easiest for owners to find), I would have your girl checked out by your vet. If these are just lumps under the skin they likely represent of mass of some sort. Are they freely moveable? There are several different types of masses that dogs can get under their skin, some more concerning than others. A very common benign tumor is a fatty tumor called a lipoma, but as other more concerning tumors can feel the same as a lipoma, I typically recommend that all masses be evaluated with needle cytology to know for sure. This is a simple procedure that your family vet can perforn. If fat is noted from this needle aspiration then no treatment other than monitoring is needed. If you elect to monitor for a while at home, and don't think that these are lymph nodes, just make sure that you're not noticing growth or a change in texture or the ability to move the mass around. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Overall, Darla's incision certainly looks as though it has healed well. The suture material used under the skin can take several months to fully dissolve. In that time, some dogs may develop mild inflammatory responses. There is also a chance that Darla has developed a skin infection from other causes (most commonly underlying allergies). At this point, you can continue to monitor these bumps at home for changes. However, if they worsen or seem to cause irritation with licking or itching, Darla should go to her vet for further evaluation. If she is licking, keep an e-collar (cone) on Darla until you can take her to the vet to prevent further skin irritation. I hope this helps and that all goes well!