Hi Walter,
My friend noticed yesterday that Bailey has a Hernia and asked me if this can affect him or any of his offspring in any way.
I don't know the answer to this, although i shouldn't think that it could.
Please could you let me know?
Thanks Walter,
Caren.

Hi, Caren,
Many pups have a small umbilical hernia - not a problem unless it is 1cm or more across.
It is a congenital defect, and there is a risk that it could be passed down.
Walter

Hi Walter,
So it can't hurt him (Thank god).
If it can be passed down do you think that would cause a problem when advertising him for "Stud"?
Or also a problem if i want to use him for "Show"?
Caren.

Depends how big it is when he is fully grwon.
walter

Thanks Walter.

Hi Walter,
I took Bailey for his first Jab this morning.
The vet that i saw advised having him nuetered as his Hernia is a congenital decease.
He said that the Pups that he sires could be born with their intestines on the outside of their abdomens.
I wondered how likely this would be?
Baileys mother has a Herniated Naval too and she has had 2 litters now, the only Pup to be affected in any way is Bailey.
I need to know the risks involved as i wouldn't want him to sire pups that could be poorly, i couldn't forgive myself for that.
Thanks,
Caren.

Hi, Caren,
As I said earlier, it all depends on the size of the hernia when Bailey is fully grown.
In any case, I would not advise neutering before then.
Walter

Hi Walter,
Thanks for that.
My vet advised Neutering at 6 months and i thought this was abit too young.
Caren.

Hi Walter,

After reading the emails above about Dogs belly button Hernia. i have a 18 month female Japanese Akita, we took her to the vet a couple of months back and was told she has a hernia naval. They said it's about 1-1.5cm in size, shall we have her operated on? Would we have to have her spayed? As we did want to breed from her and show her.

Please Advise

Thanks
Karen

Hi, Karen,
Show her first and see if the judge volunteers any comment about the navel hernia. In my opinion a 1cm hernia in a dog as big as an Akita is not a serious problem.
Walter

My one and a half year small cross breed has a small hernia which was pointed out whilst he was being neutered. The vet said it could be left.
Could it cause any digestive problems because over the last month he has been trying to 'cough something up' and has been eating lots of grass every day? I cannot think what else may be causing him to be like this.
Whatever advice would be appreciated. Thank you

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

Thank you very much for your prompt reply; very much appreciated. I will make an appointment at the vets now. Again, many thanks, Deborra

Hi,
My husband purchased a female german shepherd with a 1cm hernia.
She has had two litters. In the second litter one of the females was also born with a hernia. The vet discovered the hernia. Does that mean that hernias are hereditary. The puppy (female) has quite a large hernia is this a problem, what can happen to her.
thanks
JosephineDeborra Beese wrote:

> Thank you very much for your prompt reply; very much
> appreciated. I will make an appointment at the vets now. Again,
> many thanks, Deborra

Hi, Josephine,
Yes, umbilical hernias do have an herditary component, but a GSD bitch with a 1 cm hernia I would not regard as very significant. I certainly would not breed from the bitch puppy with the hernia - in fact I would advise early neutering, and the hernia could be repaired at the same time.
Walter

HI
MY 5 MONTH OLD STAFF MACEY HAS ABOUT A 1 CM HERNIA. WE WOULD LIKE TO BREED HER WHEN SHE IS OLD ENOUGH IS THIS GOING TO BE A PROBLEM?

THANKS
PAULINE

Hi, Caron,

Umbilical hernia is thought to be an heritable condition, but I do not think that a hernia 1cm in diameter is sufficient reason not to breed your bitch..
W

a five month dog with 1inch umbilical hernia, is this serious.

No, but do not breed with it.
W

We never heard of a hernia naval until i took my male english bulldog for a check-up. He is 9 weeks old out of a litter of 4. The vet. told us to tell the new owners to neuter and have the hernia removed because he is not good for studing.. Other breeders have told me they stud and breed them anyway. The naval isnt that big.. I would not have notice if i didnt take him to the vet.. What do you think? These pups are champion bloodline and the price is 2000.00. How much would you sell him for?

Hi,

If he has a serious umbilical heria he should be neutered and given away to a good home. It is indiscriminate breeding for profit that perpetuates hereditary abnormalities.

W

OUR LITTLE 6 WEEK OLD SHIH TZU HAS A SMALL HERNIA ON ITS BELLY BUT NONE OF ITS BROTHERS OR SISTER HAVE THEM.DOES THIS AFFECT HER BREEDING

It depends on how big it is when she is full grown

W

Hi Walter

Ive just spent a fortune on a bulldog puppy, i was told about the hernia on his belly button but was assured it was just a sticky out belly button and as he grows it will disapear? on gettin him home we noticed a lump in his eye. we returned the pup and he has now had this removed and they also say they had his hernia removed at the same time. we can have him back in a few weeks when he recovers if we want. will this cause any problem in the future as was hoping to studd him?
many thanks

Hi,

Umbilical hernias are thought to be hereditary, and it id not advisable to breed with affected dogs.
In any case, owners of bitches wishing to breed usually want stud dogs which hve done well in the show ring, and unless firstly, you are prepared to show him, and, secondly, he wins, you will not make much out of putting him to stud.
Presumably the 'lump' om his eye was a prolaps of the third eylid, and that may be detected by an obsevant judge if you do show him.

It sounds to me that you may have 'bought a pup'!! and your fortune may not have been very wisley spent.

W

Thank you, thats a great help

I have a 9 week old German Shepherd female puppy and our vet found that she has about a half centimeter umbical hernia. The vet told me that it is usually hereditary but I have also heard that sometime it is caused by the mother dog chewing and pulling on the umbilical cord at birth.

I checked with the breeder and was told that they have not experienced this with any other of the puppies they have bred.

Will repairing the umbilical hernia affect the dog's ability to bear puppies later in her life?
I have also read that some of the umbilical hernias heal without intervention, and that sometimes gently pushing in the hernia promotes the healing. Is this true?

Thank you,

Kim

Hi,

I would not be in the least concerned about an umbilical hernia 1/2 centimetre big in a 9 week-old GSD puppy.
By the time he is adult it will be unnoticeable.

W

Hello Walter,

I have read all of your above comments to these questions and they make sense, but I did have a few other questions for you. I have a dog on hold for me for a Christmas present for my daughter and like Kim L, my breeder told me that she has a small hernia on her belly button caused by the momma pulling to hard on the umbilical cord. I do not plan on breeding her, she is simply a family pet. I just wanted to make sure that everything will be ok. She is to have it repaired in the morning and the breeder insured me that this is normal. It wouldn't have any long-lasting effects down the road. As much as I wouldn't want to give her up, this is for my 5 year old daughter and want to make sure something so small won't end up huge! Thanks for your time!

Kimberly

Hi, Kimberley,

Small umbilical hernias do not need usually to be repaired, but even a bigger one, if properly repaired, should cause no problems in the future.
An unbilical hernia is certainly not 'normal', but does tend to be an hereditary defect and bitches with significant ones should not be bred from,
I suggest that you go with the breeder when the pup is taken to the vet ,and quiz the vet about your concerns.

W.