[browniesmom622]

i dont know if this tells you anything

Hernias in Dogs and Cats
Hernias are bulges or tears in the body wall that allow body organs and tissue to pass into areas where they do not belong. They are quite similar to sidewall bulges on automobile tires. Some are a minor inconvenience while others are life-threatening conditions. Some are present from birth (congenital) while others are the result of injury. When the hernia’s contents can be pressed back into normal position it is called a reducible hernia. If the contents of the hernia do not receive adequate blood supply it is called a strangulated hernia.

Umbilical Hernias:
The umbilicus is your pet’s belly button. Congenital umbilical hernias are the most common of all. Since this may be an inherited trait, it is best not to breed pets with this condition. Very few breeders take this advice. Dogs and cats with umbilical hernias have a soft , painless swelling or bulge over their umbilicus. The swelling may come and go depending on the pet’s position and how much it has eaten. Small umbilical hernias contain nothing but a fatty veil called the omentum which normally covers the intestines. Larger umbilical hernias can contain loops of the intestine. Small hernias are not serious and sometimes close spontaneously. In male dogs I repair them when the pet is 12-18 weeks of age. In female pets I spay them through the defect at 5-6 month of age and sew the hernia shut on my way out. Large umbilical hernias can strangulate when a loop of intestine gets pinched off within it. The hernia’s fibrous ring squeezes off blood supply to the strangulated segment of intestine causing cell death and necrosis. This is a life threatening condition. Extremely large hernias are less dangerous then medium size ones. The large ones put no pressure on the intestines. They can be a challenge to close because of a scarcity of available tissue to lap over the defect. Sometimes a sterile synthetic fabric webbing is used as a patch. There is a misconception that cutting the umbilical cord off too close is the cause of this condition. I see more umbilical hernias in purebred dogs and cats than in crosses.

There is an old proverb that genetic defects come in threes. In severe cases of umbilical hernia the pet should be examined for cleft palate and heart abnormalities.