Rather than hijack Violet-anne's thread, I thought I'd start one on this subject.

In our whelping experience - not over-extensive, admittedly (8 litters, I think in 40 years) we have had - I'm pretty certain - a total of 7 umbilical hernias.   In all but one case, they have been puppies that have been breech births.    In our last litter we had two - and sold both as pets only, with the clause in the contract that both had been vet-checked and in the vet's opinion they should not need corrective surgery, but if surgery were required before they reached 18 months, or spaying, we would pay for the surgery - and if when spayed there was an additional hernia repair charge, we would pay for that.   In both instances, the hernias were monitored and in fact neither has needed surgery - pups are now 4 years old.  One vet said that the hernia has closed completely, and the other says it is "minimal".   

None of the others with hernias, to our knowledge, have ever had a problem requiring surgery - I feel that in these instances the cause was the breech birth.   The only one who wasn't breech birth was a little bruiser of a puppy - and grew to be a very big-boned dog.

Margot

If a dog has a hernia due to the dam biting just a tad too close, is this whats called an umbilical hernia? And what are the dangers from breeding from said puppy?

Umbillical hernias are where the muscles at the umbilicus don't close properly at birth for whatever reason - I'm not convinced it's got anything to do with the dam biting the cords too close because my bitches have always removed the cord entirely and only one pup had an umbilical hernia.

I agree with JG :d

Last year when my girl had her first litter she left no cord stump whatsoever.I was worried sick as I had read about bitches apparently causing them by doing this.I had them vet checked the day they were born,at 2 weeks,4 weeks and again the week they were due to leave and all were given a clean bill of health.Not one of them had a hernia so I too doubt that biting the cord too close causes them.Just to mention too,that 5 out of the 9 pups were born breech too

I had two pups with cords chewed so close that it caused an injury which scabbed up and these had small hernias that were closed by the time one left and other closed later leaving a little fat pad.

'The Book of the Bitch' is quite clear (page 89 of my copy) that about half of all puppies are born hind feet first as opposed to front. Also that this isn't a 'breedch birth' - that's when the pup is born rump first with the hind legs tucked under the body. If umbilical hernias are due to being born backwards, then half the dogs in the country would have them! ;)

I was just going to say that.  Feet first isn't breach in dogs. I don't think this causes hernias either. 

I have had 6 litters ,  feet first actually probably reresents as much as 80% of my births and I have never had a hernia yet. I have had a few litters where the birth has been so dry the puppy is out but stuck tight to the mother while she is dancing about the place and the umbilical is tugged a little to seperate her from the puppy so I can get at it but I have still never had a hernia.

I wouldn't say quite half of mine have come hind feet first. Maybe 30%. I've never had a hernia either.

It is my understanding that "umbilical" refers to its physical location as opposed to say, an inguinal hernia, rather than referring to its cause.  Therefore an umbilical hernia could be either a congenital weakness in the abdominal wall allowing the fat layers to push through or a weakness caused by trauma, ie too much pulling during birth or by the bitch, but I could be wrong :)

You're quite right. 'Umbilical' simply refers to the site of the hernia. The cause is irrelevant to the definition. :)

How do you find 10 words to my 30? :p

Exhaustion! *collapses*

Although I have not had experience of umbilical hernias in dogs, I have seen it in children and in lambs.

I was told by a consultant surgeon that when the foetuses or foetus develops the internal organs develop first in a membrane, so they are held in place, next the muscle develops to cover this and finally the skin. In some babies and animals the muscle and skin development is slowed and this is when umbilical hernias develop. In children the conditions are often referred to as gastroschisis and exomphalos. In the former the membrane ruptures and the gut and organs are loose, in the latter the gut and organs are still in the membrane at birth.

The size of the hernia depends very much on how the development of muscle and skin slows. Some children need a patch to hold the gut and organs in place, while the muscle and skin grows over, in others a small operation shortly after birth is all that is needed to correct the problem.

There is an international charity which supports parents and children born with these conditions, if you visit their website some of the babies on the Experiences page are pictured while still under treatment, so if you are squeamish do bear this in mind.

www.GEEPS.co.uk

I was a founder member of GEEPS and their first chairperson, along with Sue Smith my friend whose daughter Sarah was born with gastroschisis. 

In my current litter the first 2 pups out have umbilical hernias.  They both came out without sac and placenta and feet first.  They are 6 weeks now.  The first one was vet checked 2 weeks ago and it wasn't there then, I only noticed it a couple of days ago and had to ring up the new owner.  Is this unusual, for it develop late?  It is much smaller than the other pups and he's a dog, much more noticable on a bitch!