Possible Hernia?
 

Hi, I am new here and I have a 1 1/2 year old yorkie name Reese and recently purchased a maltese mix (75% maltese, 25% pekingese) and I think she has a hernia. I'm not sure if it is though. It is a little bump (I would say) or notch on the abdomen and it is soft. I can push it in but once I let go, it comes back. Can someone tell me more about umbilical hernias? Or whether or not it is serious?

I am planning on taking her to the vet but I don't know if I could afford to have surgery on her if it is needed. (I don't like to be judged because my husband just got laid off and we're working on only one income).

Here is a picture that I found by doing a search on YT. Hers look exactly like the one in the picture.

http://www.asiahomes.com/dogpix/0307...s_Shih_Tzu.jpg

If it's right at the 'belly button' point, it's an umbilical hernia. From the sounds of it, your dog's is what is called a reducible one. Some of these hernias go away on their own and some need to be repaired. The main danger is that if some of the intestine comes through and becomes stangulated. That is a very serious situation and you would need to get to the vet right away. Yours sounds like it's just some fatty tissue coming through and is not an immediate danger. Watch the area to make sure it doesn't get very red and inflamed looking. It is probably a pink color now. You can try encouraging the muscle tissue to grow over by pushing it in several times a day. If it doesn't go away and doesn't get stragulated in the meantime, you can have it repaired at the time of spay. Some babies get these hernias at birth, mainly by the mom pulling too hard when chewing the cord and some show up later as the pup puts weight on and the pressure causes it to be expressed. For now, just keep an eye on it, get familiar with it so you notice changes in it (watch out for strangulation), push it in and hold it a few times a day and don't let the pup put on too much extra weight. I'm not saying under-feed her but extra weight will put extra pressure on the area and make it harder for the hernia to close. When you take her to the vet, he'll be able to assess her condition and recommend the proper treatment. :aimeeyork :animal-pa :animal-pa :animal-pa :animal-pa :)

I have done minor research on it and it says that if I push it in or touch it all then it would cause the hernia to get bigger. Is that true?

If she has a hernia, it needs to be repaired. As Woogie said, it can trap the intestines.

Did you get a health guarantee with your puppy? Reputable breeders usually disclose if the puppy has a hernia and deduct the cost of repair from the purchase price.

Here is some information:

Mid-Cape Animal Hospital

I only dealt with one but in that case pushing it in did not make it bigger. I never saw any warning about that while doing research on it.

She did not come with a health guarantee nor did the breeder mentioned anything about a hernia.