Spaying is good for keeping your pet healthy long-term and preventing any unplanned puppies. For the most part, spaying is a procedure free of complications. However, there’s still a chance that you and your pet may encounter some issues either from the procedure itself or the recovery process.
This article will focus mainly on the unusual lumps that may appear on your pet’s body after spaying. We’ll discuss what causes those lumps as well as the things you can do to deal with them.
Why Does My Dog Have a Lump on Her Stomach after Being Spayed?
While tending to your pet who is still recovering from spaying, you may notice that a lump has appeared on her stomach. The emergence of something unusual like that is probably causing alarm bells to go off in your head.
Should you be worried about the lump you just saw? You’ll find out after learning about the potential reasons why it showed up in the first place.
Knot Lumps
To secure the sutures used during surgery, the veterinarian may tie them into knots. If a particular knot is on the larger side, it will start to bulge and resemble a lump on your dog’s belly. A lump like this will closely resemble a pea.
This type of lump is usually not something you have to worry about. As long as there are no issues during your dog’s recovery, this lump should also disappear soon enough.
You can confirm that your dog has a knot lump by checking it regularly. If the lump isn’t getting any bigger after subsequent examinations, then it probably is a knot lump.
Pink Lumps
Next up, you have lumps that have a slightly pinkish hue. Similar to knot lumps, these pink bumps on your dog’s skin are not causes for concern.
Those pink lumps may show up naturally during the healing process. They should also go away not long after your first notice them. You should only start to worry about those pink lumps if they take on a redder color.
Seromas
The bumps you found on your dog’s belly could also be seromas. Seromas are different from the lumps we’ve already discussed because they contain liquid. To be more specific, a seroma is often full of serum that has pooled together in one spot.
A seroma will look more like a balloon compared to the other lumps. It may also increase in size as more fluid gathers in there.
Dogs may develop seromas after spaying if they are too active. Still, seromas aren’t painful. As long as a seroma does not get too big, it should also not get in your dog’s way.
Oozing Lumps
Lastly, you may also find oozing lumps on your dog’s stomach. These are the lumps that you need to worry about because they are likely symptoms of a bacterial infection.
Oozing lumps may also change color the longer they stay on your pet’s body. The other types of lumps are not that troubling, but oozing lumps are different. You should do something about them immediately or else your dog could end up very ill.
Is It Normal for a Dog to Have a Lump on Her Stomach after Being Spayed?
Post-spaying lumps are not normal, but they aren’t rare either.
The pink lumps are probably the most common since they can appear while your pet is recovering from the surgery. They can show up even if your pet did nothing unusual. Even so, they aren’t causes for concern so their emergence is no big deal.
Knot lumps can be quite common too. You can ask your veterinarian about them. They can tell you if they created those knots during surgery.
Seromas are far less common. Your dog shouldn’t develop seromas if she was recovering as intended. Keep her from being too active so those seromas don’t develop.
The oozing lumps are very uncommon. They usually indicate that either something went wrong during the surgery or your pet’s recovery. You should get those oozing lumps checked out as soon as you can to avoid more serious complications.
Can a Female Dog Get a Hernia after Being Spayed?
We’ve already discussed some of the reasons why lumps may show up on your pet’s body post-spaying, but there is one more thing we need to mention. Post-surgery, there’s a chance that your dog could also get a hernia.
A hernia occurs when muscles or soft tissues tear. Once those muscles or soft tissues tear, they may allow internal organs to bulge through. The lump on your pet’s belly is actually the bulging organ.
Your pet can get a hernia either because of surgical complications or because she was too active during her recovery. More often than not, the latter is the cause of hernias in recently spayed dogs.
Hernias may change in size and shape until they are treated. If you notice that the lump seems to change fairly frequently, then your pet probably has a hernia. The lump will also be on the softer side if it is indeed a byproduct of your pet getting a hernia.
What to Do if My Dog Has a Lump on Her Stomach after Being Spayed?
Not long after your dog was spayed, you may find some lumps appear on her belly. What should you do at that point? Let us detail the proper course of action.
Watch Your Pet Closely
As we’ve already detailed in this article, lumps showing up on your dog’s body after spaying is not a complete surprise. It’s possible that those lumps are nothing to worry about.
For now, just watch over your dog. Watch her closely and see if there are any changes in her behavior. You should also check the lumps regularly to see if they change.
Hopefully, the lumps will disappear on their own. If they don’t and you even notice them changing in appearance, you should proceed to the next step.
Bring Your Dog to the Veterinarian
You should take your dog to the veterinarian if their lumps are growing or changing in shape regularly.
At that point, you are likely dealing with something more serious. Bring your pet to the veterinarian so she can be diagnosed.
Follow the Treatment Prescribed by the Veterinarian
The course of treatment the veterinarian provides will vary based on the origin of the lumps.
If your pet is dealing with an infection, the veterinarian will probably provide medication. If the issue is a hernia, then surgery will likely be in your dog’s future.
Follow the course of treatment your veterinarian recommends so your pet can be freed from those lumps for good. You should also heed their advice about how your pet should recover so you can avoid potential complications.