Hernia's???

[chichimom]

a friend of my cousin karen..(melissa) just bought a pug puppy.. her and her man..anyway karen told me that the puppy is not paperd but was well taken care of by the owners..they know im a dog buff so they asked me if i knew if there were diffrent hernias in dogs..she said her pup has a about a half dollar sized lump in her tummy..right in between her unit and her leg..and it is soft and with a finger tip they can push it in and move it a little..now i looked it up and i found something similar to what they are seeing..any ideas of what else it could be..i found it could be a Inguinal Hernia.but im not sure. they are going to take her to the vet..but i wanted to know if anyone has seen this before..i cant find any pics of what it looks like so..do any of you know ny good sites to read up on it..and or any pictures that could give me a idea to what it looks like..i am very curious know to see what it looks like.any ideas or comments are always wanted. thanks

[mara]

I believe it's best to have any hernias repaired. It intails a small incision to repair the muscle the bowel is poking out. The problem with not repairing them is that the bowel can twist and cause an obstruction which can be fatal. Mara had a hernia where her belly button is. The vet repaired it when she was spayed.

[BratBoxers]

here is a picture of a umbilical hernia

[BratBoxers]

Here is a really bad one

[BratBoxers]

I have not read this so hope it helps


Hernias are very common in human medicine, especially in males. Hernias in general are a weakness or opening within a muscle mass that allows other tissues to pass through. In men, they are usually inguinal hernias, which are found in the groin area where there is a tiny natural opening within a band of muscle. When a hernia occurs here, the opening enlarges and the intestines from the abdominal area pass through it, producing a swelling immediately under the skin. Types of hernias in dogs
In dogs, there are also hernias involving the muscles that surround the abdomen and they are commonly found at two locations. The first site would be in the groin area on the inner surface of the rear leg - an inguinal hernia. The second site would be the 'belly button' where the umbilical cord had connected the puppy to his mother. A hernia at this location is called an umbilical hernia. In both cases, abdominal organs such as the intestines or fat pass through the opening and lie just beneath the skin.
Another common hernia site in dogs involves the internal muscle that separates the abdomen and chest. That muscle is called the diaphragm, so the hernia is therefore referred to as a diaphragmatic hernia. The intestines and other abdominal organs (such as liver and stomach) are able to pass through the opening within the diaphragm into the chest cavity. There they take up a portion of the space normally occupied by the lungs.
A hernia is, therefore, usually nothing more than an abnormal opening in a muscle through which other tissues of the body pass.
Consequences of hernias
The idea that a section of intestine or other structure might slip through one of these openings and move under the skin or into a different body cavity (such as the chest) does not seem like a big problem. However, in many cases, a hernia that goes untreated can have a fatal outcome. Usually, the problems that occur are not caused by the intestines or other organs being in an abnormal position or from the displacement of other tissues that are supposed to be there. Rather, in most instances, a problem arises when the blood supply of the herniated tissues is affected.
Figure #1 shows a hernia that involves the abdominal wall and a section of the small intestine. A portion of the intestine has slipped through a small hole in the muscular wall. This is exactly how an umbilical hernia appears. Notice the stricture (abnormal narrowing) of the intestine itself. This could easily prevent the passage of food through this section of the intestine, effectively causing an obstruction or blockage. This would certainly lead to the death of the animal, if it were not treated. More importantly, however, please look at Figure #2. This shows a close-up of the intestinal wall as it passes through the hernia. Notice how the blood vessels are twisted and constricted. Blood will not be able to flow back and forth from between this portion of the intestine and the rest of the body. It means that the section of intestine that has passed through the hole in the abdominal wall will lose its blood supply. It will be deprived of oxygen and nutrients and when this occurs, it dies.
Symptoms
The symptoms associated with a hernia, like the one pictured in Figure 1 and 2 may initially relate to the inability of food to pass through this constricted section of intestine. Muscles within the wall of the intestine are responsible for moving food and water through the organ. Waves of contractions called peristalsis propel the contents along the length of the intestine. When an obstruction is encountered, like the one described, the peristaltic waves reverse direction and move the food backward through the entire digestive tract. This results in food and water being vomited. After this portion of the tract has emptied, the animal usually goes off food and refuses to eat. They may still drink water because liquids might be able to pass through the restricted section of the intestine or be absorbed prior to that point.
Once the blood vessels are affected, however, the clinical signs change drastically. The area will become swollen and painful. Without adequate oxygen and nutrients, the intestinal tissues initially develop cramps just like your leg does when you cross it and it 'goes to sleep.' And if the flow of blood is completely lost, cell death occurs. The pain then becomes severe. The animal will probably develop a fever, become lethargic, and go completely off food and water. As these tissues break down, the toxins from bacteria that normally live in the intestine make their way into the rest of the animal’s body. As the tissue dies, the affected area turns into an abscess and many different harmful metabolic waste products are flushed throughout the animal’s body. All of these substances (bacterial toxins and metabolic waste products) seriously affect the various organ systems of the body. Liver and/or kidney failure are quite common in these situations. Without treatment, the animal will usually die within 24 to 48 hours.
As an owner, do not take a hernia in your pet lightly. In many cases, they are disasters just waiting to happen. Do not buy a puppy that has a hernia unless you have a veterinarian examine it so you will understand what treatment is necessary and the potential cost. Some hernias found in young dogs can wait for repair until the time they are spayed or neutered. In older dogs, we generally repair a hernia as soon as possible once they are discovered.
Treatment
Hernias are repaired by replacing the herniated (displaced) structures back into their correct position and then suturing closed the abnormal openings. This often requires the use of specialized techniques and long-lasting suture material.
Hereditary potential
As a note, umbilical hernias in puppies are a genetic or congenital defect in over 90% of the cases. The disorder is passed from generation to generation just like the color of the coat or the animal’s overall size. Very, very rarely are they caused by trauma or excessive pressures during whelping. Animals that have a hernia or had a surgical repair of a hernia should never be used for breeding. Additionally, those adults that produce puppies with this condition should not be bred again.

[SalemsMom]

I have a female dog,she is 15,and it has never bothered her.

[weezyNollie]

My mom's dog had an umbilical hernia, she had it repaired when he was neutered. I say it's better safe than sorry.

No need for it to get bigger or begin to bother the dog.

[micki]

my vet says umbilical hernias that are smaller than the tip of your pinky don't need repaired. But inguinal hernias should always be repaired and can be done when the dog is fixed as long as they are not stranglated. Then they must be repaired at once.
I had a deposit on a female pup from a very good show breeder, the pup developed a inguinal hernia. I didn't want that pup because I was looking to show and breed her.And she would have to be spayed so as not to pass the defect on to her pups.

[chichimom]

is not one on the belly button though is in the dogs groin so to speak

[micki]

Then it is an inguinal hernia and must be fixed.