Possible Hernia?

LukesMom · 08-31-2010, 04:45 AM

I have a 10 month old APBT mix who's got a strange spot on his tummy. We adopted him at 9 weeks and he's had it since then. My boyfriend thought it was scarring from getting neutered, but I'm not so sure. He went to the vet a bunch as a puppy to get his shots and all that and she didn't mention it so I'm thinking it's probably nothing, as it's obviously not causing him pain, but I wanted someone's opinion.

The only thing that makes me suspect it might be a hernia or something instead of just scarring is that sometimes when I poke at it, it feels soft and "empty" almost, and other times it feels hard. I know my cousin's dog had a hernia as a puppy and it was in the same spot but his would actually pop out and then go away completely.

He's got his 1 year check up coming up and I'll ask about it then, I'm just wondering what everyone thinks it might be.

Below I've attached a picture.

(PS- yes, that's the tip of his wee on the left side, it's a point of reference

)

**Criosphynx** · 08-31-2010, 03:43 PM

No pic

if its from the neuter, it would be where his scrotum is, not his belly

**fawkese1** · 08-31-2010, 08:51 PM

no pic here either... ditto ^^^ the scar would not be on the belly... could it be his belly button that you are seeing?

LukesMom · 08-31-2010, 08:53 PM

Oops, sorry about the picture. Maybe this one'll work?

I didn't think it was from his neuter, but the boyfriend is convinced that he's got a scar from this spot down around his winkie all the way to where his junk used to be. I don't see it.

It very well might be his belly button, I've just never noticed one so pronounced on a dog before, and I didn't think it would be sometimes hard/sometimes squishy if it was.

I'm probably just overreacting

Tess · 08-31-2010, 09:18 PM

Of course the thing to do is ask the vet, but it would not surprise me if its a small umbilical hernia. That just means the abdominal wall did not close off totally where his belly button is. Its not uncommon and may not be anything to worry about if its small... sorta just an "outie" bellie button. Maybe the vet noticed it at his neuter surgery. You could always call the vet and see if anyone made a note on his chart about it, and if so you could thus set your mind at ease.

Now my understanding is we need to be very careful not to give medical advice here, so please take all I say with that in mind. I am not a vet. If your dog is experiencing any problems, or if the area elicits a painful response from him, or if it becomes firm and you can't push it in, then you would of course seek immediate veterinary advice, right? Yet if he's had this since 9 weeks with no issues, that's good.

Hope its OK what I said here... Not yet sure what the boundaries are on offering health related observations...

**TonkaTruckJK** · 08-31-2010, 09:20 PM

I'm going to go with belly-button here...

No medical background to speak of, but having helped whelp and raise 17 puppies (2 litters), The difference between belly-buttons can be dramatic, even within the same litter - especially with a first litter...

With my most recent (Chloe), the first two were kinda mangled, then she got the hang of it after that...by the end, she was a pro...the first two, as they got older and healed, still had bumps where their umbillicals were attached, where the last 7 were pretty clean from the beginning. I wouldn't stress too much about it, but it couldn't hurt to ask the vet to palpate and give their opinion.

pawzaddict · 08-31-2010, 09:21 PM

The thing with giving medical advice is we are not vets

Whenever there is a concern and it is clearly not something as simple as a surgery scar that is when its time to bring this to your vets attention

LukesMom · 08-31-2010, 09:21 PM

No, I totally understand, and I agree with you. He doesn't seem bothered by it at all, he'll let me poke and prod and doesn't care. I'll just bring it up when he goes for his next check up. Thanks everyone!

Mischief · 09-01-2010, 01:11 AM

If in fact it is an umbillical hernia, it can easily be repaired if the Vet decides it necessary.

3 of my 5 dogs have/had UH. My 2 females had it repaired when they were spayed and my male also has one which will be taken care of when he is neutered next week. It seems to be more common in some breeds than others and it can be an inherited trait. The swelling may come and go depending on the dog's position or how much it has just eaten too.

Although a typical umbillical hernia doesn't usually pose any immediate danger, it is often recommended that they be repaired while they're in for another surgery.
I'm surprised if your guy has had it since he was a puppy, that your Vet didn't suggest having it taken care of while he was scheduled to be altered.
Glad you're going to bring it to her attention, on your next visit

LukesMom · 09-01-2010, 02:31 AM

Would it have anything to do with being neutered at a shelter? Maybe they didn't have the time/money to fix it? I assume if they had noticed but not fixed it they would've told us when we adopted him. I dunno, I've had some people get mad at me for him being fixed at less than eight weeks old but it's not like I had a choice, he came that way.

Is that bad?
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