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Originally Posted by londonteatime What exactly is this? My bulldog has what looks like a belly button and the vet said it was a bit of a hernia that occurred at birth where the umbilical cord was. The vet said it wasn't a bad one, wouldn't affect her at all and didn't need to be corrected. I'm planning to breed her this summer -- do y'all think that would cause a problem?
Julie |
An inguinal hernia occurs in the groin area when the inguinal canals do not close properly. Yours is an umbilical hernia usually caused my the mother chewing the cord too close, but sometimes it can also be genetic in which case you should not breed. If the bulge is still there I would think the pressure of being pregnant may cause the opening to enlarge and be risky. Even if fixed and determined not to be hereditary the opening could tear back open. The bulge is actually organs poking through the abdominal wall. The danger is that if they get pinched or twisted they require immediate surgery and will die with 24 to 48 hours if not repaired. They become extremely painful at this time and the puppy stops eating and may even stop drinking.