Umbilical hernias can be a common occurrence in dogs and they are usually found in puppies at the time of birth. Drax, a 7-month-old American Bulldog has undergone a successful surgery at Animal Trust Birkenhead for his hernia. Here is more of his story.
Owner, Jack Wooding, brought Drax to the surgery after becoming concerned about the umbilical hernia that had remained unchanged since birth.
“While Drax had always been fine and well in himself, he wasn’t off his food or experiencing anything out of the ordinary, I still wanted to have it fixed.” comments owner Jack.
Following a routine, free consultation at the Birkenhead surgery, vet, Olga Gluszko found that the hernia was soft and fatty-like to touch and was around 3mm in size.
Commenting on Drax’s case, Olga said; ‘’There are two types of umbilical hernias; reducible, which are smaller in size and can be pushed back into the abdomen and irreducible, which are larger in size and will see one or more organs protruding from the opening.
‘’The reducible hernia Drax had was quite straightforward to repair and I’m very pleased with how his surgery went.’’
Umbilical hernias are caused by the incomplete closure of the umbilical ring after birth and the condition is thought to be a genetic one. While any dog can be affected, the condition is more common in; Bassett Hounds, Cocker Spaniels, Border Collies and Lhasa Apso’s. While smaller umbilical hernias will stay like a soft swelling under the skin, owners may find that they protrude outwards when a dog is standing, barking or crying.
In cases where we see a larger hernia (irreducible), owners should lookout for the following symptoms (as well as the typical swelling);
- Difficulty passing faeces
- Vomiting
- Lethargy
- Loss of appetite
- The dog is showing signs of being in pain
Drax’s owner, Jack says; ‘’While the problem wasn’t greatly affecting Drax, I’m pleased it has been fixed. His recovery is also going well and the free follow up appointments at the surgery are great.’’
If you’re concerned that your puppy may have a similar condition to Drax, visit your local Animal Trust surgery for a free consultation with one of our vets. They will examine your dog and recommend if any further treatment is needed.
