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My cat has a lump after spay surgery. Is it a hernia or rupture?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Turkish Angora | Female | spayed | 4 months and 15 days old | 10 lbs

My cat was spayed 5 days ago. She opened one of the sutures right after the procedure but the vet said everything was still sealed and fine. While examining her today her abdomen shifted and a large lump appeared under her sutures. She did not appear to have discomfort with pressure in the area. Concerned that she got a hernia from thrashing in her carry crate, or that her abdominal wall is ruptured. Though, she appears to have no pain.

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3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Tomasz Wnuk

Veterinarian

Published on May 10th, 2020

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It does sound like a hernia. It is often a painless 'lump' that comes and goes with abdominal pressure. Small hernias, that involve only fat tissue from the abdomen can be left untreated and they hardly ever cause any problems. Larger hernias should be operated on as there is a risk of small intestine, bowel or spleen getting trapped within the hernia. Please, liaise with your vet on that. Abdominal hernia can be easily confirmed during clinical examination. Based on the size of the hernia it should be decided if another surgery if necessary.

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Andrea M. Brodie, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on October 29th, 2018

    This lump is fairly large and since it disappears on and off it may be that the internal stitches opened and she has a hernia at the incision site. However sometimes there also is a larger swelling at the incision site that will go away over time. As long as your cat eats, drinks and does not appear to be ill, it is not an emergency and you can wait until your appointment. It may be a good idea, however, to check if you can have an earlier appointment with June for the post-op check.

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    Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

    Veterinarian

    Published on April 5th, 2019

    It could potentially be a hernia, but it could also be a seroma, which is a collection of fluid in a surgical space that occurs due to too much activity. This is something that needs to be checked out by a vet, so yes, I would take Noire into the vet. Best of luck.

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