Hard, red, swollen lump on dog's surgery incision: Is it a hernia?

Coco may be having a suture reaction. A hernia repair has a three layer closure and the body must break down each layer of those sutures. Sometimes you can see swelling afterwards. Restricting Coco’s activity will help so that it does not pull so much on the tissue which causes additional inflammation. If you are noticing that it is still swelling and getting bigger, I recommend have Coco checked out again to make sure the hernia has not reoccurred. It never hurts to have the area palpated by the veterinarian. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

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.

The surgical wound seems producing an excessive scar and it is essential to confirm that the underlying layers healed properly. I would have her checked by your local veterinarian to rule out any wound breakdown and possible herniation.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is possible that he has developed a hernia again and the concern would be that it could be causing him pain and discomfort, especially if he did not like it touched. The other possibility is a seroma which is an accumulation of fluid at the incision site though that seems less likely. I recommend that you have Columbus evaluated by a veterinarian perhaps tomorrow when your veterinarian opens again. If at some point he develops loss of appetite, vomiting or lethargy, have him evaluated sooner. Good luck with your boy!

I can certainly understand how hard it is to keep a puppy calm and quiet! This swelling may be caused by a seroma, which is an accumulation of fluid that occurs when a dog is too active after surgery. Without seeing it in person, I can't say for certain, but it would be best that Tucker is seen by a vet tomorrow for 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 could be a hernia, but it is unlikely related to the surgery since we don't handle that area during a routine neuter. I would recommend having the vet check it again if it doesn't improve after the NSAIDs, or sooner if Roman seems painful or stops eating and drinking.