Hi Dr. Walter,

I have a 5 month old mixed bred small dog. 2 weeks ago, I brought him to the vet for his rabies shots and consulted for his hernia. Back then, I could push the hernia back into the abdominal cavity. He advised me to place a band on it to prevent it from sagging. Now, I can't push back the hernia and on palpation, i can feel something hard or cartilage like surrounding the opening. I'm worried. does this mean he needs surgery?

Hi,

How big is the hernia - i.e. the diameter of the hole under his belly button?

W

hi! sorry to flood you with questions. I'm not sure if i've sent the previous one cause it doesn't appear on the forum. anyway, the hernia is around 1.5-2.0 cm. If he needs surgery, what are the possible complications during and after? How long does it take for it to heal? Will it cause later problems like obstruction?

thanks,
Cherryl

An umbilical hernia as big as 1.5 to 2 cm. does require surgical reduction.
The surgery is straightforward and should take no longer than 15 to 20 minutes.
If competently carried out there should be no complications and it should not recur.
The sutures or clips will be removed after about 10 days.
It will only cause problems such as an obstruction in later life if it is NOT repaired.
I hope that this helps

W

it's good to know the positive prognosis of the surgery. I brought him to the vet today, she said it's most likely omentum rather than intestine probably since my dog is in really good condition and doesn't show any changes in behavior. She said the hole is starting to close and in the process a portion of the omentum gets trapped. I asked how she came up with the diagnosis. She said the consistency of the hernia was equal with or without food intake, whereas if it were an intestine it would vary. I'm just not very convinced with it. She advised me to wait and see if the hernia changes color or any behavioral changes with my dog. I just don't want to wait until the intestine is already necrotic and resection as an option. I need your opinion just to ease my mind.

thank you very much

Accept the advice of your vet, who has examined your pup. I have not.

Walter Beswick Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Hi, Deborah,
> A small umbilical hernia will not cause any of the
> problems you describe.
> It sounds more likely that he has a mild gastritis
> - or possibly he has swallowed something which is
> lying in his stomach. Dogs use grass as an emetic
> - eating it deliberately so as to make themselves
> sick.
> Although at present the problem is a minor one, if
> he does have a 'foreign body' in his stomach it
> could at any time move into the small intestine
> and cause an obstruction - which is serious and
> requires urgent treatment.
> Get if checked out by your veterinarian.
> Walter

I have a 9 mo old small breed male that has a hernia. I measured it and it is shy of 1 cm in length and less in width & height. Vet would not provide more information as to whether this was gentic and I know there are different types of herinas. I believe only one is genetic with the predisposition for disorders of the heart, cleft plate and hernias? His only suggestion was to neuter him immediately. Do agree with this assessment?

Hernias occur when there is a weakness or hole in the body wall, usually underneath the belly near the 'belly button'. Usually only some fat from the abdomen gets through the hole and sometimes this can be pushed back in when you feel it (it will come back out again). Small hernias in this area are of no consequence but are often repaired at the owner's request when your dog has an anaesthetic for some reason (usually when it it is neutered). A hernia is really only a problem if it is large and something important pops out under the skin like a piece of gut. Neutering does not affect hernias, but I suspect what your vet really meant was that when the dog is neutered he could repair the hernia at the same time. As to whether this needs doing sooner rather than later I can only say that you should go with your vet's opinion which will be an indication of whether it needs sorting out right now.

It isn't large and he isn't having anything important popping out. I guess the problem is that I intended on breeding him and now I am unsure whether this is a good idea or if I should get a different stud. He was supposed to be a mate for my female. You mentioned before that if under 1 cm a dog could still be breed and this is very close to that restriction. He is healthy otherwise and would have made a good stud but I don't want to pass on any health aliments. Especially since the breed already has issues with heart problems. His heart check out and so does my female but I don't want this to affect the offspring.

The actual size of the hernia needs to be considered relative to the size of the dog, so the bigger the dog the more leeway you have as long as it is not bigger than 1.5 - 2cm in a big puppy. Some people would say that hernias are passed on in the genes but this is rather simplistic, as this is not always the case. As far as whether to breed from him I suppose it is a case of 'you pays your money and you takes your choice', in other words it is your call, but as far as problems go it is not often a big deal. Please don't write back and say you have a litter of puppies all with hernias and blame me though!

My neo pup has an umbilical hernia can her offspring come out big and strong even though she has that problem?

As previously pointed out belly button hernias have an inherited component so they may be passed on. What is perhaps of more relevance to what you ask is will your dog have a problem with hers when she gives birth. The straining to pass puppies could make the hernia worse when she has her litter so it really depends on how big it is. Unfortunately there is now real answer to this except to say that the hernia may present more problems to the mum than the puppies and so you really need to have her examined by your vet and seek their opinion.

Hi
i have a 5month old male bulterrier with a hernia. they told me it will go away as he grows older, but to me it looks like it is getting bigger. would he need an operation for that?
thanks
Mackda

Hernias do not go away. If it is getting bigger then it may need surgery but that depends upon its absolute size. A hernia is a hole in the body wall and the hole usually stays the same same size as the dog grows, so if it was 1cm when the dog was born then it will be 1cm when the dog is fully grown. What comes through the hole - usually just fat - may change in size however, either because more comes out or it becomes strangulated and inflamed. The decision to operate is usually on a case by case basis rather than absolute rules but if it is getting bigger then generally surgery is a consideration. If something important like a piece of gut gets trapped in the hernia then usually surgery must be done.

Hi Mark

We purchased a Cockerpoo puppy on the 3rd of September when he was 8 weeks old. At the time we picked him up he was described as fully fit and healthy with no problems.
To be on the safe side we took the puppy to a reputable local vet for a check up a few days after we picked him up.
The vet said he has a small Umbilical hernia (Less than 5mm) and that it may close up itself. The vet recommended having him neutered and said the henia if still there could be closed up at the same time.
My question is about the neutering. Does he have to be neutered?

Regards

Simon

Neutering will not affect the hernia - I suspect what was meant by your vet was that when he was neutered the hernia could be sorted at the same time rather than have 2 anaesthetics on different occasions.

I bought a 10 month old male miniature dachshund about 2 months ago, lately i've noticed a small button looking bump right where a belly button would be..it's gotten bigger though and its about 1CM maybe. He's still eating and acting normal though. Does he need to have it removed or looked at by a vet? How much would it cost to have it removed? Please help!

If it is getting bigger then the hole in the body wall is still patent and may need closing surgically. What it would cost I cannot say but it should not be too expensive.

Hi I have 4 yr old Chihuahua. she has never
had a belly button problem. she had one litter
of 4 beautiful little girls (all without problems).
now we think she is pregnant again and her belly
button it sticking out. is this normal???

Many thanks

POLLY

It could be a small umbilical hernia that has occurred due to increased pressure on her abdominal wall in an area of intrinsic weakness, but the main thing to ensure is that it's not painful to touch or rapidly increasing in size. To be on the safe side, I'd recommend getting it checked out by your own vet and they may be able to confirm the pregnancy for you at the same time depending on what stage she's at.

Hi Walter,
My female goldendoodle has an umbilical hernia about an inch in length. She is 1 year and 3 months old , will she be able to have puppies? If not, will it be dangerous to remove.

Hi Kennedy

A one inch hernia is quite large in my estimation, it wont stop her having puppies but I would consider it less than ideal to breed from her because she has a hernia and it is a defect. I doubt it bothers her but does it bulge out from the skin quite far? Can you gently press and it disappears inside? It could in all probability be easily surgically corrected. Its best if it is checked by a vet and you discuss this possibility.

Cathy Wickenden BVet Med MRCVS
Barton Lodge Veterinary Centre
1 Midland Road, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, HP2 5BH
Tel: 01442 216048 24 hours
[www.bartonlodgevets.co.uk]

My 11week old shih tzu has a lill hernia could it pass on thanks ?

Hi

Yes I am afraid a tendency to having hernias can be passed on the next generation of pups.

Cathy Wickenden BVet Med MRCVS
Barton Lodge Veterinary Centre
1 Midland Road, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, HP2 5BH
Tel: 01442 216048 24 hours
[www.bartonlodgevets.co.uk]

Would a Umbilical hernia affect a male dog doing active sports like agility?