Question: I have a female Pomeranian and she has a large bump on her stomach near her hind leg. Is this dangerous and what could it be? L.J., Whittier, CA.

ANSWER: Lumps--are never normal. They can be anything from herniated organs, tumors (benign or cancerous), cysts (fluid-filled sacks), granulomas (callus-type material), abscesses (walled-off infections), lipomas (fatty tumors), etc. I suggest a visit to your veterinarian for testing which may involve bloodwork, xrays, urinalysis, and most likely a biopsy of the tissue. From here, your vet will be able to help you reach the proper diagnosis and treatment plan right for what is causing this problem. Please see our Drug and Disease Library under Canines. There is a section on "Tumors" there. Good luck! Click here for the page on tumors!