Just been told the puppy I am due to pick up next week has a suspected umbilical hernia. The breeder has offered to pay any surgery if required , should it deter us from buying the pup?
Regards
Bluecheq
Umbilical hernia in puppy
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There is no substitute to visiting your Vet - he has the knowledge and experience and can see/feel/smell your dog and advise accordingly. Please apply your own judgement and common sense to any advice given. What works for one dog might not work for another. If you are in any doubt please visit your Vet! General Forum Rules
There is no substitute to visiting your Vet - he has the knowledge and experience and can see/feel/smell your dog and advise accordingly. Please apply your own judgement and common sense to any advice given. What works for one dog might not work for another. If you are in any doubt please visit your Vet! General Forum Rules
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Greymaster
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Re: Umbilical hernia in puppy
In my experience most are self-healing. Depends how large the hole is whether surgery is required...
Nigel
www.bastillian.co.uk
www.bastillian.co.uk
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Bogtrotter
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Re: Umbilical hernia in puppy
Apart from the seriousness (or not - get a vet's opinion not just the breeder's) it depends on whether it is a dog or a bitch and whether you intend to breed from it or not. My bitch (now 4 yrs) has an umbilical hernia and it has caused no problems at all, but I was advised not to breed from her but to have it repaired if I did (which I am not as it is usually an hereditary condition) and as the weight of the pregnangy could exacerbate it. I was not told about the hernia by the breeder until I went to collect the pup by which time I;d already fallen in love with her 
so decided to go ahead!
If you intend to breed I would advise not taking the pup even if it is a very minor hernia. Good luck
Fiona
so decided to go ahead!If you intend to breed I would advise not taking the pup even if it is a very minor hernia. Good luck
Fiona
The site for the working Barbet http://www.barbetchasseurfrancais.info
Re: Umbilical hernia in puppy
I'd ask them to let you know if is or isn't a hernia. They should have had a vet check all the pups and would know from this. If you have any doubts don't go- once you get there to pick it up it's very difficult to walk away.
When I picked my pup up, ( who I do want to breed from) her tummy had some unevenness around that area, the breeder assured me the vet had checked them all and none had hernias, and i could chose another pup if i wanted, but this pup had sat on my daughters knee for the last hour so no going back. however all through the 2 he journey home I kept thinking that I should have swapped, i also did Internet searches ( bad bad idea) and it wasn't till my vet checked her 2 days later and also confirmed no hernia that I was reassured.
Jacqui.
When I picked my pup up, ( who I do want to breed from) her tummy had some unevenness around that area, the breeder assured me the vet had checked them all and none had hernias, and i could chose another pup if i wanted, but this pup had sat on my daughters knee for the last hour so no going back. however all through the 2 he journey home I kept thinking that I should have swapped, i also did Internet searches ( bad bad idea) and it wasn't till my vet checked her 2 days later and also confirmed no hernia that I was reassured.
Jacqui.
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vicky payne
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Re: Umbilical hernia in puppy
Again Fiona is beating me to giving some brilliant advice!
In most cases the defect in the body wall is very small (1-2mm) and some fat pokes through. These hernias won't need repairing and may close in time just leaving the outey belly button appearance!
The hernia only needs immediate repair if a finger can be inserted. If a finger can go in a loop of gut can come out and become strangulated leading to pain and death. This should be repaired as soon as possible (I often do them at 10 or 12 weeks).
In between hernias are usually repaired at neutering.
Hernias may be hereditary, but they may also be caused by insults during pregnancy (a fever for instance).I also have a suspicion that timing of the closure of the umbilical hole is different in different breeds as I see more in crossbreeds than pure breeds! I advise against breeding from dog which have hernias BUT a small self fixing one must be considered in the overall health and ability picture of a given dog. A breeder of cavaliers has recently bought two bitches with tiny hernias as they have been screened clear of all the other much mroe serious cavalier problems! In this case she will use an older stud anyway (recommendation for SM) and choose one with no history of throwing hernias.
In most cases the defect in the body wall is very small (1-2mm) and some fat pokes through. These hernias won't need repairing and may close in time just leaving the outey belly button appearance!
The hernia only needs immediate repair if a finger can be inserted. If a finger can go in a loop of gut can come out and become strangulated leading to pain and death. This should be repaired as soon as possible (I often do them at 10 or 12 weeks).
In between hernias are usually repaired at neutering.
Hernias may be hereditary, but they may also be caused by insults during pregnancy (a fever for instance).I also have a suspicion that timing of the closure of the umbilical hole is different in different breeds as I see more in crossbreeds than pure breeds! I advise against breeding from dog which have hernias BUT a small self fixing one must be considered in the overall health and ability picture of a given dog. A breeder of cavaliers has recently bought two bitches with tiny hernias as they have been screened clear of all the other much mroe serious cavalier problems! In this case she will use an older stud anyway (recommendation for SM) and choose one with no history of throwing hernias.
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HeidiK
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Re: Umbilical hernia in puppy
Buster had an umbilical hernia, which was repaired when he was castrated at 6 months. He lived to 15 1/2 and it was never a problem. He only ever visited the vet for vaccinations and a lump on his paw when he was 13!
Re: Umbilical hernia in puppy
We have decided not to go ahead buying the puppy after thr breeder had taken her to the vets. I felt that it was wrong to buy a pup that was not fully sound and which I may have wanted to have a litter of her depending how well she came on. Every credit to the breeder the way he has kept us informed and up to date.
Regards
Bluecheq
Regards
Bluecheq
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DesO'Neile
Re: Umbilical hernia in puppy
The appear to be lots of urban myths on the subject of umbelical, bubble, thumb or blister hernias. I have never bred more than two litters from any particular bitch and whereas there has been the odd one, and I mean odd one, there has been no pattern. I'm a lay person and I'm not even sure if there is any foundation for the assertion that they are hereditary. I simply point them out to any prospective buyer and let them make their own mind up. Obviously the vast majority of the pups I bred leave and I don't see them again but nobody has come back to me about any physical problems so I presume this issue hasn't been found to be a problem however I'm convinced that as pointers are a relatively slim and athletic breed they achieve good muscle tone through exercise and this must help negate the potential hernia problem.