Hernia is a fairly common disease in dogs that occurs at any age. In puppies, due to the underdevelopment of the abdominal muscles, an umbilical hernia is most often found, less often an inguinal hernia. This pathology can be congenital, or it can be acquired at birth or during the first days of life.
How to identify a hernia?
An umbilical hernia is a protrusion of internal organs (most often the intestine or omentum) through an enlarged umbilical ring. Often the reason for its appearance is improper childbirth, if the person who received the puppies pulled too hard on the umbilical cord or cut it too short, or the careless actions of the mother pulling the umbilical cord when licking or dragging the baby. A hernia may already be noticeable in newborn puppies, or it may appear several days after birth.
The appearance of a hernia can also be due to hereditary tissue weakness in the umbilical ring.
Take a close look at the puppy's tummy. If at the site of the navel the baby has a swelling ranging in size from a few millimeters to three to four centimeters, most likely it is a hernia. You can distinguish it from a tumor in the following way: put the puppy on its back and run your hand over the abdomen. In this case, the tumor will remain in place, and the hernia will not be felt.
If you suspect a hernia, the puppy should be shown to the veterinarian - the doctor will determine if there is a need for surgical treatment.
If there is swelling, inflammation, or reddened skin around the swelling on the abdomen, touching it clearly causes discomfort to the puppy, this may indicate either that a hernia is being pinched or that the bloating is a sign of another disease. Usually, the hernia does not cause painful sensations and does not interfere with the normal functioning of the animal.
How to treat a hernia in puppies?
Small hernias most often do not require treatment and close themselves when the puppy is about six months old. Occasionally, owners try to cure a hernia in their little pets with a coin attached to the hernial ring with a plaster. Such manipulations should be carried out only with the permission of a veterinarian - the effectiveness of folk remedies is often exaggerated, they are not able to replace surgical treatment.
More modern methods to speed up the closure of the umbilical ring are all kinds of bandages and pressure bandages specially designed for puppies with hernias, abdominal massage. Medical supervision is mandatory - if the hernia does not close itself or begins to grow, conservative treatment will not be enough.
The veterinarian may also use alcohol injections to heal the hernia. At the same time, ethyl alcohol is injected into certain areas of the hernial ring, causing inflammation and overgrowth of the ring.
Large hernias must be sutured to avoid pinching them. Usually, half-year-old puppies are operated on, but recently hernias are often sutured in 9-10-week-old babies.
To prevent the occurrence of a hernia, especially if there is a risk of hereditary weakness of the umbilical ring and abdominal muscles in puppies, you should carefully handle the babies. Do not lift them by their front or hind legs, do not allow puppies to get up on their paws too early, pull themselves up, resting their front paws on the side of the box or box in which they are located.
