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

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

My dog has this inflamed swollen tender area under her lower ribs. What is it?

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1 Answer

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Answered By Emily Fukuzato, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on April 10th, 2019

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Pet Coach. Based on the picture, this affected red area looks either like an abscess (pocket of infection) or a mass of unknown origin under the skin. Either way, it is inflamed and irritated, as well as possibly infected. I would highly recommend to have it evaluated by your regular veterinarian as soon as you can get an appt. If you dog can lick at the area please either put a long shirt on him or obtain an Ecollar to prevent him from licking until a doctor can evaluate this problem.

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