hernia? - YorkieTalk.com Forums

jmwoody · 10-29-2006, 10:36 AM

has anyone ever dealt with a puppy hernia before? what can you tell me about it? is the surgery invasive &/or risky? is it something that needs to be treated or left alone?

chachi · 10-29-2006, 10:53 AM

Its my understanding that it can be removed at the time of the spay/neuter. You want to get it done because they can rupture

prettypuppypink · 10-29-2006, 12:34 PM

I had one puppy that I bought a few years ago with a hernia. It was repaired when spayed. I was informed by the breeder of this condition before purchase. She did agree to pay for the hernia repair. My puppy was fine after surgery.
Jessica

ROSITA DENNIS · 10-29-2006, 01:35 PM

When I got my Muffin for free from the breeder. ( of course she was just a breeding machine)I took her to the Vet for check up and had her scheduled for spay. The Vet says it was hernia but most of it was fat content so it just can be left alone. The Vet did not remove it. My suggestion is that you take your Yorkie to the Vet and ask their opinion if it's best to be removed during spay procedure or just leave it alone. They have the best opinion..I should hope so. Good Luck!

DENISE517 · 10-29-2006, 02:21 PM

Maddie had two hernia removed. My breeder also informed me of these and was going to have it done before Maddie left, but since I was going to have her spayed, the vet said to wait til 6months since she is so little and have it all done at once. My breeder (Jill) just took the price of the surgery off the puppy. This way she will only have to be put under one time. She one one hernia where her cord was attached on in her abs. The one where the cord is attached is usually the less problem one.. but with Maddie is was just the opposite. At 5months old I picked her up one day and she yelped out. I looked and the one where the cord was, was the size of a small gum ball. It had grown. from the size of a pencil eraser. 4 times the size. It looked like it could burst and was really red and purple in color. She ended up having to have emergency surgery to remove it and they removed the other one and spayed her at the same time. She wasnt yet 3lbs. She did wonderful. I was really surprised. I suggested to please have it remove regardless cause you never know. Also there is always the possibility that if the hole(hernia) does not close up, that organs and go into the hole and cause even more problems. usually this happen in the ab one and the intestines go into the hole and cut off blood supply causes even more problems. Please have it removed.

louie's mom · 10-29-2006, 02:34 PM

i was also told that louie had a hernia, but it wasn't until his second visit to the vet. so by then it was too late for me to do anything with the breeder since i had a clause about getting him vet checked with in 48 hours of purchase. i am going to have it repaired when he goes in to be nurtured, i know many of you use the vets at petsmart. i do also and i have louie on the banifield insurance plan. since his nurtering is already covered they want to charge me another 275.00 to stich up his hernia. they will already have him under but want to charge me a seperate surgery. They also told me that it will only be about two to three small stitches, somehow this doesn't seem right. has anyone delt with this or something similar with them?

thanks, annette and louie

CC's · 10-29-2006, 10:55 PM

If the hernia is small and soft and reducable (you can push it back in) I would wait until spay/neuter time to fix it.

I had one pup that had a hernia so I had him repaired and neutered at 12 weeks old so I don't think its to dangerous.

luvdorkyyorkies · 10-30-2006, 05:02 AM

Hello

I had a puppy with an inguinal hernia that had been watched closely. It was a very noticable lump when it protruded. After the third visit, and a scheduled repair, my vet said he noted it was getting smaller, and suggested a repair be made at spay. The lil girl was a little over 3 months. She had a future owner and I got an estimate on the cost of repair/spay surgery and reduced the cost of the puppy to cover the surgery at spay.
We had instructions to gently reduce the bulge anytime we noted it and look for redness, or any discoloring. If it wasnt reducable then there was a problem too.
That was what was done. By the time the puppy went in for spay at 7 m, the hernia no longer existed. SOmetimes they repair themselves.
That is not always the case though. They can become strangulated such as the above post and require ER surgery. They can die of the condition. SO it can be a dangerous condition and should always be monitored closely and repaired if it doesnt fix itself, unless the vet advises against it for whatever reason.

smmrpm · 11-01-2006, 04:29 AM

Like the above posts have said they can be easily (usually easily) corrected when you have her spayed. Does the breeder you got her from know she had it?

jmwoody · 11-01-2006, 01:05 PM

The girl she came from said that she "suspected" her of having a "small" hernia... so I am trying to read up on it so I feel like I have 1/2 a brain when I ask the vet about it... Is there a way to tell for sure? If she does, would she have lumps or something?

I spent so much of my research time on liver shunt, trachias, and blood sugar and really don't know much about a "possible" hernia...

yorkykisses · 11-01-2006, 01:14 PM

Sometimes hernia will repair themselves as the puppy grows or they will alot of the time decrease in size. Is her hernia a umbilical hernia or an inguinal hernia? Sometimes with anguinal hernias they can have one on each side. Umbilical hernia is easier to repair when she is spay, since the hernia is in the exact same sugery area. But I am quite positive that she will do fine! Hernias seem to be a common problem.

bellaismybaby · 11-01-2006, 05:08 PM

If the hernia is an umbilical hernia, the risk is if the bowel protrudes (strangulation). This can cause a portion of the bowel to die. I'm not sure how often this occurs in pups, but not very often in people. If you can push it back in (reduce it) then it can probably wait. If it is an inguinal hernia, down close the where the belly meets the leg, then the risk is less. I hope this helps.

Lacy's Mom · 11-01-2006, 06:00 PM

There are two types of hernias - 1) umbilical cord hernia, usually caused by Mom chewing the cord to short in the middle of the belly. The others are called inguinal hernias and are on either side of the vulva (female part). There can be one (unilateral inguinal hernia) on either side of the vulva or two (bilateral inguinal hernia) on both sides of the vulva. Smaller hernias can close on their own and a large percentage do.

A hernia is basically a hole in the stomach lining that allows the bowel to protrude under the skin, but outside of the abdominal wall. The danger is if they become strangulated (twisted) and lose blood supply then you have an emergency situation on your hands. Most can be left until the time of spay (6 months) so you only have to go through one anesthesia so of course it would be cheaper to do it at the same time as the spay. Just watch it closely, it should not look red or inflamed or feel hot to the touch. If the dog begins vomiting or the area is tender then you will have to have it repaired before spay. If it is unusually large the vet may not recommend waiting.

Inguinal hernias are usually (if not always) considered hereditary and can be passed to offspring. Umbilical hernias are probably not genetic, just simply the Mom not being very skilled in chewing the cord and chewing it too close. That is why most breeders handle this themselves, but sometimes the Mom's will go back and chew it some more.

jmwoody · 11-02-2006, 03:41 AM

Thank you Lacy's Mom, that was very helpful

River · 11-02-2006, 12:44 PM

I had picked out my Jack Russel Terrier puppy and put a deposit on her when she was about a month old. The day before I was suppose to pick her up to bring her home the breeder called and said that she had popped an inguinal hernia. He was really nice and told me he would do whatever I wanted, money back, another puppy, or he would pay to fix the hernia. I had my heart set on her so I took her anyway. She only had one on one side, but the vet said that she would probably get one on the other side as she grew, and she did. They wouldn't do surgery because she was only 2 lbs and i was told that as long as it could be gently pushed back in and didn't get red or swollen looking that it could be repaired at her spay surgery. That's what i did and then took the bill to the breeder which he happily took care of. She is now 11 years old and never had another hernia problem.

10-29-2006, 10:36 AM	#1
jmwoody No Longer a Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Tennessee Posts: 91	hernia? has anyone ever dealt with a puppy hernia before? what can you tell me about it? is the surgery invasive &/or risky? is it something that needs to be treated or left alone?

10-29-2006, 10:53 AM	#2
chachi I Love My Yorkies Donating Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Indianapolis, Indiana Posts: 37,147	Its my understanding that it can be removed at the time of the spay/neuter. You want to get it done because they can rupture __________________ Chachi's & Jewels Mom Jewels http://www.dogster.com/?132431 Chachi http://www.dogster.com/?132427

10-29-2006, 01:35 PM	#4
ROSITA DENNIS Donating Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Grand Rapids MI Posts: 26	Regarding hernia When I got my Muffin for free from the breeder. ( of course she was just a breeding machine)I took her to the Vet for check up and had her scheduled for spay. The Vet says it was hernia but most of it was fat content so it just can be left alone. The Vet did not remove it. My suggestion is that you take your Yorkie to the Vet and ask their opinion if it's best to be removed during spay procedure or just leave it alone. They have the best opinion..I should hope so. Good Luck!

10-29-2006, 02:21 PM	#5
DENISE517 No Longer a Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: INDIANA Posts: 4,449	Maddie had two hernia removed. My breeder also informed me of these and was going to have it done before Maddie left, but since I was going to have her spayed, the vet said to wait til 6months since she is so little and have it all done at once. My breeder (Jill) just took the price of the surgery off the puppy. This way she will only have to be put under one time. She one one hernia where her cord was attached on in her abs. The one where the cord is attached is usually the less problem one.. but with Maddie is was just the opposite. At 5months old I picked her up one day and she yelped out. I looked and the one where the cord was, was the size of a small gum ball. It had grown. from the size of a pencil eraser. 4 times the size. It looked like it could burst and was really red and purple in color. She ended up having to have emergency surgery to remove it and they removed the other one and spayed her at the same time. She wasnt yet 3lbs. She did wonderful. I was really surprised. I suggested to please have it remove regardless cause you never know. Also there is always the possibility that if the hole(hernia) does not close up, that organs and go into the hole and cause even more problems. usually this happen in the ab one and the intestines go into the hole and cut off blood supply causes even more problems. Please have it removed. Last edited by DENISE517; 10-29-2006 at 02:26 PM.

11-01-2006, 04:29 AM	#9
smmrpm Donating YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Virginia Posts: 800	Like the above posts have said they can be easily (usually easily) corrected when you have her spayed. Does the breeder you got her from know she had it? __________________ Max, Piper, Emma & Buttercup Click HERE to see our Pictures

10-29-2006, 12:34 PM	#3
prettypuppypink Donating YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: NJ Posts: 739	I had one puppy that I bought a few years ago with a hernia. It was repaired when spayed. I was informed by the breeder of this condition before purchase. She did agree to pay for the hernia repair. My puppy was fine after surgery. Jessica

10-29-2006, 02:34 PM	#6
louie's mom Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: charlotte Posts: 99	i was also told that louie had a hernia, but it wasn't until his second visit to the vet. so by then it was too late for me to do anything with the breeder since i had a clause about getting him vet checked with in 48 hours of purchase. i am going to have it repaired when he goes in to be nurtured, i know many of you use the vets at petsmart. i do also and i have louie on the banifield insurance plan. since his nurtering is already covered they want to charge me another 275.00 to stich up his hernia. they will already have him under but want to charge me a seperate surgery. They also told me that it will only be about two to three small stitches, somehow this doesn't seem right. has anyone delt with this or something similar with them? thanks, annette and louie

10-29-2006, 10:55 PM	#7
CC's YT Addict Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 402	If the hernia is small and soft and reducable (you can push it back in) I would wait until spay/neuter time to fix it. I had one pup that had a hernia so I had him repaired and neutered at 12 weeks old so I don't think its to dangerous.

10-30-2006, 05:02 AM	#8
luvdorkyyorkies BANNED! Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Illinois Posts: 1,681	Hello I had a puppy with an inguinal hernia that had been watched closely. It was a very noticable lump when it protruded. After the third visit, and a scheduled repair, my vet said he noted it was getting smaller, and suggested a repair be made at spay. The lil girl was a little over 3 months. She had a future owner and I got an estimate on the cost of repair/spay surgery and reduced the cost of the puppy to cover the surgery at spay. We had instructions to gently reduce the bulge anytime we noted it and look for redness, or any discoloring. If it wasnt reducable then there was a problem too. That was what was done. By the time the puppy went in for spay at 7 m, the hernia no longer existed. SOmetimes they repair themselves. That is not always the case though. They can become strangulated such as the above post and require ER surgery. They can die of the condition. SO it can be a dangerous condition and should always be monitored closely and repaired if it doesnt fix itself, unless the vet advises against it for whatever reason.

11-01-2006, 01:05 PM	#10
jmwoody No Longer a Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Tennessee Posts: 91	The girl she came from said that she "suspected" her of having a "small" hernia... so I am trying to read up on it so I feel like I have 1/2 a brain when I ask the vet about it... Is there a way to tell for sure? If she does, would she have lumps or something? I spent so much of my research time on liver shunt, trachias, and blood sugar and really don't know much about a "possible" hernia...

11-01-2006, 01:14 PM	#11
yorkykisses Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Somewhere Pleasant Posts: 193	Sometimes hernia will repair themselves as the puppy grows or they will alot of the time decrease in size. Is her hernia a umbilical hernia or an inguinal hernia? Sometimes with anguinal hernias they can have one on each side. Umbilical hernia is easier to repair when she is spay, since the hernia is in the exact same sugery area. But I am quite positive that she will do fine! Hernias seem to be a common problem. __________________ ~Yorkykisses~

11-01-2006, 05:08 PM	#12
bellaismybaby Donating Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: California Posts: 829	If the hernia is an umbilical hernia, the risk is if the bowel protrudes (strangulation). This can cause a portion of the bowel to die. I'm not sure how often this occurs in pups, but not very often in people. If you can push it back in (reduce it) then it can probably wait. If it is an inguinal hernia, down close the where the belly meets the leg, then the risk is less. I hope this helps. __________________ Bella Izzie Julie

11-01-2006, 06:00 PM	#13
Lacy's Mom YT 3000 Club Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: El Paso, Texas Posts: 3,065	There are two types of hernias - 1) umbilical cord hernia, usually caused by Mom chewing the cord to short in the middle of the belly. The others are called inguinal hernias and are on either side of the vulva (female part). There can be one (unilateral inguinal hernia) on either side of the vulva or two (bilateral inguinal hernia) on both sides of the vulva. Smaller hernias can close on their own and a large percentage do. A hernia is basically a hole in the stomach lining that allows the bowel to protrude under the skin, but outside of the abdominal wall. The danger is if they become strangulated (twisted) and lose blood supply then you have an emergency situation on your hands. Most can be left until the time of spay (6 months) so you only have to go through one anesthesia so of course it would be cheaper to do it at the same time as the spay. Just watch it closely, it should not look red or inflamed or feel hot to the touch. If the dog begins vomiting or the area is tender then you will have to have it repaired before spay. If it is unusually large the vet may not recommend waiting. Inguinal hernias are usually (if not always) considered hereditary and can be passed to offspring. Umbilical hernias are probably not genetic, just simply the Mom not being very skilled in chewing the cord and chewing it too close. That is why most breeders handle this themselves, but sometimes the Mom's will go back and chew it some more.

11-02-2006, 03:41 AM	#14
jmwoody No Longer a Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Tennessee Posts: 91	Thank you Lacy's Mom, that was very helpful

11-02-2006, 12:44 PM	#15
River Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: PA Posts: 188	I had picked out my Jack Russel Terrier puppy and put a deposit on her when she was about a month old. The day before I was suppose to pick her up to bring her home the breeder called and said that she had popped an inguinal hernia. He was really nice and told me he would do whatever I wanted, money back, another puppy, or he would pay to fix the hernia. I had my heart set on her so I took her anyway. She only had one on one side, but the vet said that she would probably get one on the other side as she grew, and she did. They wouldn't do surgery because she was only 2 lbs and i was told that as long as it could be gently pushed back in and didn't get red or swollen looking that it could be repaired at her spay surgery. That's what i did and then took the bill to the breeder which he happily took care of. She is now 11 years old and never had another hernia problem.