My dog has a swollen, tender lump under her lower ribs. What is it?

Hello. This is definitely an ulcerated lesion, but a picture does not tell me if this is just a chronic, inflammatory reaction, a sever bacterial infection, or cancer. I think it is best to have your veterinarian take a look at this & see if all that is needed is a course of antibiotics to clear things up. Thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. If there was a traumatic injury that caused a pocket to form under the skin, this would create a dead space. Consequently when there is dead space under skin the body will try to fill this dead space in and fluid will accumulate in the pocket as a result. This is what we call a seroma. Many times after a single drainage by the vet this usually resolves. Sometimes the seroma needs to be drained multiple times. Seromas do not harm the animal in any way. Sometimes applying cold packing and warm packs to the area will help reduce inflammation and help the seroma resolve. I hope this helps! Please feel free to contact me with any other questions or concerns you may have I am also available via consultation if needed

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is difficult to tell from the photo where this lesion is located. However, with anything under the skin that is growing, we become concerned about an infection (abscess formation), a mass of some kind, or a blood accumulation (hematoma), among others. I would recommend Rokko be evaluated by his regular veterinarian to determine the underlying cause for his skin swelling/redness, have any necessary testing done (needle aspirate, culture) and start any treatment that may be needed. Good luck!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I'm sorry to hear Abby may have a swelling on her side. Swelling under the skin in dogs can be due to a variety of reasons, including soft tissue injury, a growth, or a cyst or abscess, among others. If this is a new development for her, I would recommend it be evaluated by a veterinarian to determine what it may be, and if anything needs to be done for it. Good luck!

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!

Thank you for providing a picture of Pickles and her bump! It is quite large in the picture, and it could be a tooth root abscess. It could also be an enlarged lymph node, a benign tumor, or a malignant tumor. This is definitely something that needs to be checked out by a vet. It looks very swollen and it likely bothers her. The vet will be the one to diagnose what is causing the bump and the best treatment for it. I would take her into the vet first thing Monday morning. Tonight, I'd recommend feeding some canned food to her just in case it is dental problem and it hurts for her to chew dry food. You could also soak her dry food in warm water to soften it up. Good luck, I hope this helps!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Based on the picture, this could be a mass of some type or due to an insect bite. If this does not resolve within 24-48 hours, then I would recommend having a veterinarian examine her so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.