Why does my Chihuahua have tender lumps near his ribs and hips?

Hello. A knot in the leg of a Chihuahua is unlikely and if it is behind the 'knee' then it is likely his lymph node. If it is larger than 1cmx1cm I would have it checked by a veterinarian. It may just be his normal lymph node however if it isn't sore or tender. Enlarged lymph nodes can be due to infection, or cancer. Due to his age it is much less likely to be cancer.

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.

Symptoms like this can be related to pain in the back or pain in the pancreas. Even though she is acting normal, the tense areas indicate there is some discomfort and I recommend to have her examined by her veterinarian. The doctor may recommend radiographs to check the spine or a blood test to check the pancreas. Both conditions should be treated to alleviate pain. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Unknown lumps and bumps are virtually impossible to diagnose without, at the very least, a visual inspection of the area. As such, I will provide you with some general information. An unknown mass or lump is typically one of the following: a cystic (fluid filled) structure, an abscess (fluid-filled, but infected), a mass / tumor, an allergic reaction / insect bite, or the result of a traumatic injury. A thorough physical exam and inspection of the affected area would be needed in order to determine which is most likely. In many instances, a needle aspirate (small amount of fluid obtained from the lesion and placed on a microscope slide) or tissue biopsy would be required to obtain a definitive diagnosis as to the type of lesion. If this is not an option, one must consider the location, distribution, duration of onset, patient breed / age / sex, and a variety of other factors. As Foxy is a younger dog, it is less likely that she would have a malignant tumor on her body than if she was elderly. You mentioned that the lesion is soft - this is typically a good sign that she is dealing with something benign or harmless. Whether or not this mass has anything to do with the weight loss is very difficult to say. I would recommend you make a regular appointment to see your vet and have her assessed as a whole. Hope this makes sense.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Without seeing Genesis it's hard to say. If the lumps are symmetric and soft, it is likely fatty subcutaneous tissue. Like "love handles" in people. Again, without seeing her I can't say that for sure but this is a common area where fat is stored on dogs and owners commonly are worried about it. The best diagnosis is having a vet stick a needle in it and look at the cells under a microscope. I hope this helps! Kisses to Genesis!

i am afraid these could be benign or malignant tumors. Since Nealy is an older dog, this is not uncommon. Lipomas (fatty tumors, usually benign, they can actually be hard) or mast cell tumors come to mind when looking at your photos. It could also be a very extreme allergic reaction to possibly a shampoo at the groomers. 1) do not panic 2) make an appointment with your veterinarian for an exam. He will likely want to take a so-called FNA (Fine Needle Biopsy) where he takes a small amount of tissue through an injection needle, puts this on a glass plate and looks at it under the microscope. This will give your vet an idea what he is dealing with. He may also send this material to a lab to be examined. Once you and dyour veterinarian know what type of mass you are dealing with , you can discuss treatment plans.

I would recommend that Chico get checked out by a vet. There could be lots of causes including a torn ACL, broken bone, sprained ligament, or even bone or soft tissue cancer. After a physical exam, the vet may recommend x-rays to determine what is going on.