What's moving under my unspayed dog's belly skin? Is she pregnant?

You are honestly too kind to me! Bloat is fatal without treatment, but if she is acting normally now, then she doesn't have it. You would see unproductive vomiting, restlessness, pacing, a swollen abdomen, and looking at the abdomen. It's good that she stopped the previous behavior, and it could be that she had something stuck in her throat but has now passed it. I would monitor her for now, and if she does show any concerning signs again, have her seen by a vet. As for the swelling of her stomach, it could be possible that Bella is pregnant if she's been around intact male dogs. She could have be going into heat, as the mammary glands can swell when a dog is in heat.

It depends a little on where these are and what they feel like. I am assuming under the skin if felt but not seen. If they are back in the groin/where the leg and groin meet and are on opposite sides from each other then they may be inguinal lymph nodes. If this is the case, especially if you're finding any other lymph node enlargement (the ones under the jaw are the easiest for owners to find), I would have your girl checked out by your vet. If these are just lumps under the skin they likely represent of mass of some sort. Are they freely moveable? There are several different types of masses that dogs can get under their skin, some more concerning than others. A very common benign tumor is a fatty tumor called a lipoma, but as other more concerning tumors can feel the same as a lipoma, I typically recommend that all masses be evaluated with needle cytology to know for sure. This is a simple procedure that your family vet can perforn. If fat is noted from this needle aspiration then no treatment other than monitoring is needed. If you elect to monitor for a while at home, and don't think that these are lymph nodes, just make sure that you're not noticing growth or a change in texture or the ability to move the mass around. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Hi and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It is hard to see exactly what Pomi's abdomen looks like in those photos. To be safe, I would recommend you take her into your vet to make sure that her abdomen palpated (feels) normal, she does not have a temperature and that she is otherwise normal. Sometimes non-spayed females can get something called a pyometra (pus in the uterus) that can cause a tense stomach, vaginal swelling and discharge, lethargy, vomiting, diarrhea etc. This can become a surgical emergency therefore, if Pomi is showing any of these signs, I would take her in sooner rather than later.

The discoloration you are seeing appears to be located around Ariel's mammary glands. I see that she is 10 months old and not yet spayed. If she has just had a heat cycle it is normal for there to be increased blood flow to the mammary glands, which can cause them to be a little swollen and discolored. However, if it appears to be getting worse, there is any discharge or she appears painful, I would certainly have your veterinarian examine her. It's hard to tell from the picture, but if it is spreading down the inside of her leg, then that is abnormal and she should be examined. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Unfortunately, it is impossible to tell based only on the appearance of her belly. Weight gain, and loss of muscle tone, can both lead to a dropped appearance as well. We look at other signs, such as development of her mammary glands. Ideally, a veterinarian can perform an ultrasound, and this could tell you if she was pregnant, and if so, roughly how far along pregnancy might be. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Without seeing Nagai in person, I can't say for certain if this is caused by pregnancy or a disease, but it is certainly possible that she is pregnant. The only way to know for sure if Nagai is pregnant is to have her seen by a vet for blood tests, x-rays, and ultrasound. These tests will confirm a pregnancy, and give an idea of how far along she is in her pregnancy.

It is difficult to determine if a lump is cause for concern by just an image alone anyway. Ideally, she should be physically examined by your veterinarian. If necessary, fine needle aspirates can be done to collect samples for pathology. This may provide a diagnosis. Treatment options can be discussed once results are returned. If the lumps are not bothering Maddie, you can choose to monitor for rapid change or growth, sensitivity, discharge or restriction of motion. IN these cases, she would need to see her vet.