Hi all
I took Angel to the vets the other day for worming and flea treatment and i asked about the lump on her belly while I was there. The vet confirmed it was an umbilical hernia (as expected) but told me that it probably would not go away on its own and the best way to srt it out is to do it when getting her spayed at around 8months.
I had absolutely no intention of having her spayed (though I dont want to breed her either) as I have heard it can cause health issues such as putting on weight which can then lead to heart problems which are common in Cavaliers.
Does anyone know if it is common to have the umbilical hernia sorted out at another time without her being spayed? Or is it ok to leave it?
Also is this likely to be covered under insurance?
Thanks
Jo and Angel

Hi My vet recommends leaving them if they are not a problem, I have a 7 year old dog with quite a big hernia which has never caused him any problems, all vets have different opinions, but I would leave it alone:) I would think the insurance would be inclined to say it is a defect from birth so probably wouldn't be covered

When I used to work as a veterinary nurse in a very large practice, several of the vets I worked with advised to push the hernia back inside its hole whilst playing with the pup.  Just by gently pushing the 'belly button' in a few times each play session did in certain cases help tighten the underlying hole and eventually the hernia stopped popping out.  If the hernia is too big then operating probably is the best option as it could be that part of the intestines could be seeping through the hole, it all depends on how big/severe the hernia is.

Regarding the speying, if you don't intend to breed from your new pet it would be beneficial to your bitch to have her speyed. She would not have anymore unwanted seasons so you wouldn't have the worry of dogs mithering her twice a year for three weeks at at time.  There would also never be the problem of womb infections later in life either.  The fact that you are worried about weight gain which can occur after speying is usually due to incorrect exercise to diet ratio, your vet should be able to help you with a good diet plan - ask at your veterinary clinic to see if they have a nutritionist (many of the vet nurses now specialise in this area).

I hope this is useful to you and I hope you have many years of happiness with your new 'Angel'.

Regards Truely.

"Pushing it in" sounds a bit scary but i might give it a go as i believe I shouldn't get her spayed until around 2months after her first season which is not for months yet as she is only 10weeks old. I wouldnt mind leaving it except I am worried that it may cause/be the cause of intestinal problems later on and I dont want to take that risk really.

Remember that anyone on the 'net can say anything (I'm not implying that anyone who posts on CD isn't what they say thay are BTW ;)) But please be aware, before taking any advice, especially concerning medical matters, that the person giving the advice may not have any qualifications of experience at all.  This did actually happen on another board I frequent - somebody claiming to be a vet, when questioned, gave registration details of somebody they couldn't possibly have been, and they had been advising on vet issues for months....

hiya

i've heard of taping a 50p to the hernia by pushing it up in place as the dog grows the hole repairs depending on it's size or gets smaller untill it is too small for anything to pop out of it your dog only being 10wks will grow quickly in the coming weeks

or you could allways go to another vet and see what they say about it

all the best

david

Hmmm good point Digga. I definately dont want to anything to hurt her but I dont want it to get worse either. I really am confused about it all. Stupidly I thought they were similar to hernias in baby which to the best of my knowledge heal themselves.
:-(
My poor lil baby

Some are.  Here is an article that explains:

http://www.showdogsupersite.com/kenlclub/breedvet/umbilical.html

One of the pups in our litter had an umbilical hernia and our vet advised that they would not perform surgery on a pup so young and would rather keep an eye on the dog as it grew and hopefully it should grow out of it.  They would only operate later if it started causing problems for the dog.  They also advised to push it in gently once or twice a day as this helps to push everything back into place and give the hole a chance to heal up without catching anything in it.  They also advised placing a ball of cotton wool onto the hernia and taping it on, which so long as the pup doesn't mind, won't hurt it.

Thanks, that article was really interesting but has left me a little bit more confused as I dont know which type it is tho I assume it is the non-hereditary type. I have been trying pushing it in and she seems perfectly happy as she just thinks i'm rubbing her belly so I will keep this up!

Jo and Angel

Hi
I have 2 cavvie pups, currently 17 and 15 weeks, both of whom have these hernias. (The older one's is slightly bigger). I asked the breeder about them and also had my own vet check them both, and they both said they were harmless.Both pups don't mind them being touched / tickled / pressed gently and there is nothing to feel (in the way of intestine etc) directly under them.
The vet recommended just keeping an eye on them, and if I think there's been a change to take them back so she can have another look.
Don't know if this helps!
Sue

You have 2?  How do you cope! Angel tires me out as it is! :-)
I hope the same is true with angel. She certainly doesnt mind it tickled or rubbed or pressed in gently as she just thinks I'm playing with her. I hope I dont have to have her spayed as I dont really want to if I can help it.

Hi angelbaby, not sure if cope is the word for it! To be honest I have found certain aspects easier with two as opposed to when I had just one with my last dog. They certainly helped each other settle in (I waited an extra 2 weeks for Bill so I could bring them home together) andI haven't had a  single disturbed night (touch wood). Other things are less easy than with one -particularly training. I have to separate them for this, and they whine terribly!
Luckily I have a great Mum who not only looks after them through the day but is also coming to the local puppy training centre with me!
I'd follow the vets advice, after all they usually know best, and ask your breeder if you want reassurance. Apparently its very common in cavvies, but as these are my first two I'm no expert!
Sue

Hi, my boy had an umbilical hernia and I too was told to leave it until I had him castrated (no intention of having that done).  It was a reduceable one, I think that meant that you could push it back through its hole.  I did regularly push it back but it just popped back again - it might have been my imagination but I thought this made the hole bigger. I think if you are lucky and it stays inside for a period of time then the hole might seal itself far enough for it to stay inside.  Anyway, I got quite used to it, used to call it his "squidgy button" and if it wasn't for the emergency abdominal operation he had to have at 6 months, I am sure that he would still have it.  It wasn't huge, less than 1 inch in dia.  I think if it isn't getting in the way then you could leave it.  Good luck

Hi angelbaby in reply to your post one of my recent pups (gsd) was like your baby with a hernia the only problem was hers got harder and bigger quite rapidly I took her to the vets and hers had become strangulated.  If this was not rectified it can produce toxins and also go gangrenous. She is 10 weeks old and the operation was very simple and over in a short period of time, she recovered as though nothing had ever happened to her.  So good luck I hope everything will be ok. Indy