pit puppy's stomach hard as rock

by Carrie
(SC 29073)

I have an 8 week old blue seal pitbull puppy that has a place on the left side of his stomach that is hard as a rock.

Is this bad? Is it a health problem?



Hi Carrie
I definitely would recommend that you have your veterinarian examine your puppy so that you can find out what this lump is.

I'm afraid I really can't give you any help with this as I can't see or feel it and don't know it's exact location, so I can't even make a guess.
However, these are just some of the possibilities...

If it's near his umbilical area it could be a hernia, but if it's hard and not mobile that could indicate a problem. If it's in the skin it could be a cyst of some sort, most likely benign, but there are many different kinds of cysts.

If it's a sort of lump that you only notice when he's 'pulling his tummy in' (for example when eating or drinking) and it's near the bottom of his rib cage it could be a 'floating rib'. This is pretty common and nothing to worry about, but it can look quite strange when it's sticking out.

If the hard area is large and seems to be inside your pups abdomen, there is a possibility that he has an obstruction of some sort. A blockage in his intestines or bowels. This is very serious and needs immediate veterinary attention, so if you think this may be the case, get him to a vet or a 24 hour animal hospital right away.


Even if it seems minor, and your pup isn't showing any other signs of illness, distress, only your vet can make an accurate diagnosis so have your pup get a check up soon as possible. Best of luck.