In this research you will know the answer to the query “Why Are There Lumps On My Puppy’s Belly?“.
Puppies can be a lot of fun and bring a lot of happiness to your life but they can also cause a lot of stress and worry.
The stress and worry part of the process can sometimes overpower the joy especially if there appears to be something wrong with your new family member.
Does it matter if you see lumps on your puppys belly? What should you do if you see lumps on your puppys belly? We’ll discuss every possible reason that might lead to this happening throughout this research and hopefully by the end you’ll know the answer and be able to get back to having fun with your puppy right away.
Umbilical Hernia
An umbilical hernia occurs when the lump on your dogs belly is swollen visible right below their navel.
Puppy activity may make the swelling more apparent in this instance. The dog may protrude further if it barks cries strains or even stands.
The umbilical ring does not completely close after birth resulting in an umbilical hernia. Hernias are caused by abdominal lining and fat being pushed through the opening.
There are rare cases where parts of the intestines may slip through a hole and become strangulated causing the tissue to die. In such cases medical attention would be needed immediately.
Hiatal Hernia
A hiatal hernia can also occur in dogs sometimes caused by trauma although this is usually the result of a birth defect. An intermittent hiatal hernia may not necessarily be visible at all times.
If a hernia is visible it will be found at the base of the diaphragm.
Another sign that your puppy might have a hiatal hernia is when it vomits when it is exciting when it plays or when it moves.
Abscess
The lump your puppy has on its belly could also be an abscess. An abscess could be identified by a soft spot of swelling sore draining pus or a hot spot that is sensitive to the touch.
White blood cells and other blood components referred to collectively as pus are produced when the body is fighting an infection caused by some type of injury (usually a break in the skin) and this pus fills in the injured tissues creating an abscess. It is also possible for abscesses to occur internally in certain cases.
Bites
You can also get lumps on your puppy if it has been bitten by something such as another animal insects or even itself.
A bite in this case is similar to when humans get bitten by something there will be a bump lump redness or other visual signs that it happened.
The lump might vary in size based on the creature that bit them. The lumps caused by bites will not all look the same so it is important to pay attention to the details.
Stings
Additionally an insect sting could cause a lump on your puppys belly.
If your puppy suffers an allergic reaction to the sting there will be a bump in the affected area as a visual indication and it could be very irritated and swollen.
In addition depending on how many times your puppy was stung there may also be one or more of these as well as the bites just discussed.
Lipoma
If your dog has lumps a lipoma may be to blame although this is more common among older dogs than younger ones.
If your dog is overweight it is more likely to develop a lipoma also known as fatty tumors since fat cells produce it. Tumors of this type can appear anywhere but are typically found on the stomach or chest of dogs.
Most of the time these lumps are round in shape and only occasionally have irregular borders.
In addition to being soft they may also be firm in some cases and depending on how attached they are to the surrounding tissue they may move around. Benign tumors will not cause cancer.
Histiocytoma
Your pet could also have a benign tumor called a histiocytoma.
Pets can develop a histiocytoma a small pink and rounded skin lump. Since they do not usually come along with many symptoms they typically take about one to four weeks to fully sprout.
In addition to appearing on a dogs head and ears they can also appear anywhere else including your puppys stomach.
It is more common in dogs below three years of age than lipoma so it is more likely to affect puppies.
Perianal Adenoma
The next possible reason for your puppys lumpy stomach is a benign tumor.
In regards to the definition of perianal tumors since the name seems so scary these tumors are located on or around the anus area of your dogs body.
It can extend toward the stomach area of your dog as well. The term adenoma refers to a benign tumor so a benign tumor on the perianal area is referred to as a perianal adenoma.
This type of tumor is caused by hormones particularly testosterone and estrogen and for this reason these tumors are more likely to occur in men.
Spayed female dogs and unneutered male dogs. Their lumps will be round pink hairless and round. Occasionally they break open which can cause irritation and your dog may frequently lick the area.
Hives
There is also a possibility that your puppy is suffering from hives if it has been exposed to an allergen and is reacting to it.
Other areas of the body may also exhibit these raised circular lumps (especially the face) accompanied by swelling around the muzzle and the eyes among other symptoms.
There are many causes for lumps on your dogs belly besides allergies including insect bites and stings. These are some of the more common causes of lumps on your dogs belly.
Pyoderma
Our final reason for why you might see lumps on your puppys stomach is pyoderma a bacterial skin infection.
Many factors can contribute to this condition such as skin damage immune system suppression or other causes.
A lump that goes along with these issues will look a lot like a pimple on a person. It is also important to note that puppy pyoderma is fairly common and tends to develop mostly in areas with less hair.
How can these things be treated?
It is important to take your puppy to the vet if you notice lumps on its belly. A vet will be able to identify which of these issues are causing the lumps and what to do about each of them.
Unlike pyoderma which is treated with antibiotics and possibly medicated shampoos or sprays lipomas typically only need monitoring until they get large enough that they need to be surgically removed.
In order to get rid of hives caused by an allergy the vet must identify and eliminate the allergy from the dogs life. Your veterinarian may have to perform a surgical fix for hernias.
Conclusion
It may be terrifying to notice lumps on your puppys stomach but in the vast majority of cases it would not be dangerous especially if you catch it early since it has a good chance of being treated easily. You deserve a pat on the back for being observant enough to notice lumps on your pups belly and taking him to the vet.
Your new family member will be back to full health in no time if you visit your vet to confirm a diagnosis.
Remember that puppies despite the stress they can cause sometimes bring a lot more joy and happiness into a home than worries.
If you want to read more about dogs’ health tips read here: Dog Health Tips and Tricks.
