Herniated Umbilicus Puppy

[LyndseyM]

My 13 week old puppy seems to have been the only one in her litter with one of these. My male - her sire - has one, too, that has never been problematic for him or has grown in size. However, I noticed that the puppy's seems to have gotten a little bigger. No issues eating, pooping and no vomiting. What is the suggestion on determining is surgery is appropriate? I also know her abdominal wall won't close until about 6 months, so it is possible it can vary in size up until this point?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Dr. Sara]

Dear Lyndsey,
Umbilical hernias are quite common in puppies. They are not a problem as long as they are small in proportion to the pup, and contain only fat. Hernias require surgical correction if they are large, or if they contain abdominal organs, like intestine or liver. If your pup is a German Shepherd (that's what I see in the picture!) a blob of fat up an inch across can be normal. It is best to have a vet examine the hernia to ensure that all that is inside is fat. Sometimes you can gently massage the fat back in, especially if pup is lying on her back, but the material generally falls back out. Hernias can change a bit in size as the pup grows, as there is a piece of fat in the umbilical area. Danger signs are a hernia that rapidly increases in size, becomes hard or dark colored, or seems to bother the pup, as well as changes in BEAM.
Hope this helps!
Dr. Sara

 

[LyndseyM]

Dear Lyndsey,
Umbilical hernias are quite common in puppies. They are not a problem as long as they are small in proportion to the pup, and contain only fat. Hernias require surgical correction if they are large, or if they contain abdominal organs, like intestine or liver. If your pup is a German Shepherd (that's what I see in the picture!) a blob of fat up an inch across can be normal. It is best to have a vet examine the hernia to ensure that all that is inside is fat. Sometimes you can gently massage the fat back in, especially if pup is lying on her back, but the material generally falls back out. Hernias can change a bit in size as the pup grows, as there is a piece of fat in the umbilical area. Danger signs are a hernia that rapidly increases in size, becomes hard or dark colored, or seems to bother the pup, as well as changes in BEAM.
Hope this helps!
Dr. Sara

Thank you Dr. Sara! Yes, you assumed correct, that's Gigi with her sister, they were about 8 weeks old there ?. Her umbilicus is probably 3-5cm in size, so not even the inch you say it could be. We will keep an eye on it and her for now.

Thank you again