[Maryn]

Reich has one...how do you tell the difference between a true hernia and a 'delayed closure' hernia?

 

[Maryn]

A picture if it helps

 

[dobricans]

Safir had one too, maybe a little bigger than Riech's. Vet said to wait untill he'll have the neuter/castration surgery and if it's still there he will fix it. He didn't have to, by the time he had the surgery at 1 yr old, it got smaller and smaller and completely closed. How old is Reich?

 

[Maryn]

Originally Posted By: MIHASafir had one too, maybe a little bigger than Riech's. Vet said to wait untill he'll have the neuter/castration surgery and if it's still there he will fix it. He didn't have to, by the time he had the surgery at 1 yr old, it got smaller and smaller and completely closed. How old is Reich?

She's 5-6months old I'd say. Her AKC papers age her at 4 1/2 mos, but she's almost 50 lbs and has all of her adult teeth coming in.

The vet said she'd fix it when we spay her.....but I am giving her until she's 2 to decide whether we are doing that or not.

 

[Fodder]

(nevermind actually - continued searching and found some info in another thread)

http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/ubb...true#Post619608

i'm bumping this because i have the same issue, except Tilden was already neutered before i noticed it. just wondering how serious these things are. his is about the size of a... hmm... i dont know, a shelled peanut or quail egg or something (its 2:45am, i cant think of a better reference, lol).

he's 18 months old, and didnt mind me touching it.

 

[Chris Wild]

Umbilical hernias are not uncommon in puppies. In the vast majority of cases they close on their own by the time the pup is a few months old. Often what happens though is before the abdominal wall closes, a small globule of subcutaneous fat falls outside the abdominal wall and is trapped under the skin when the abdominal wall closes. This is what causes the little bump under the skin, as shown in the picture.

How to tell if the hernia is closed or not is simple. Palpate the area and push on the blob. If you can feel a hole in the abdominal wall under the skin, or the little blob of fat can be pushed back inside, it's not closed. If no hole can be felt and the little blob of fat can't be pushed back in, the hernia is closed and the dog just has an "outie".

 

[spartshep]

Excellent post Chris. I have had a few people walk away from puppies because their vet had told them that this is a genetic defect requiring spay or neuter.