About an hour ago I noticed that my 5 1/2 week old pup has an umbilical hernia. I got online and just joined this website... Anyone have advice? I'm planning on calling my vet tomorrow morning. Thanks.

I've just read that massaging the hernia may help in decreasing the size and help to seal the opening. Has anyone tried this?

Hi Matty

have a look at THIS LINK which you may find helpful :)

regards, Teri

hi there,some breeds are more prone to hernias than others,two of the breeds we have,tibetan spaniel and king charles spaniel(not cavalier)  have quite high incidences of hernias and it is genarally accepted that if they are small and not inguinal hernias they are ok to not be operated on unless for example the dog is going to be spayed in which case the vet can fix the hernia at the same time.our own vet has seen our tib girls hernias and isnt the least bothered as they are small and offer no discomfort.most people we know in these breeds,including well known judges often dont think twice about the fact a dog has a hernia unless it is an iguinal one(in the groin).hope this helps,roy.

Hi Teri, thanks! That article was very informative and helpful. Helped to ease my mind. I am a first time breeder and have never heard of this before, so when I noticed it I must say I was Freaked Out! Thanks again.

Hey there Roy, my pup's hernia is small and he  shows no signs of pain or discomfort so far. His appetite is still normal, so I guess I'll just keep an eye on him and talk to my vet. Thank you.

realy depends on how big it is. I had a pup that had one about the size of a 10p  he is now 8mths old and no sign of his hernia.

Hi Mattie

I'm glad it was useful :)

My apologies, I should also have welcomed you to the forum - it was a tad early in the morning here so I wasn't fully awake!  Although it's mainly a UK forum we have quite a few regular posters from overseas, although there aren't usually many around at 5-00 am or so which is why there wasn't more response to your first post.

I hope you stick around - there's lots of useful info to be had.
kind regards, Teri