We are considering the purchase of a four-month old puppy from a local breeder. The breeder said that the puppy has an umbilical hernia and that it could be corrected surgically, but it wasn't necessary. What is an umbilical hernia and is it serious? Would you recommend the surgical procedure be done or ignored or should the breeder have this done before we make the purchase? We have seen the puppy's eye exam and vaccination records and he is otherwise in excellent health.
Generally, a hernia occurs when part of an organ abnormally protrudes through a defect in the tissue that envelops it. An umbilical hernia is a protrusion of a portion of the intestines through a defect in the abdominal wall in the umbilical (navel) area. Usually the herniating intestine pushes into a segment of peritoneum (the internal lining of the abdominal wall), thus forming an investing peritoneal sac around most of the hernia. If an umbilical hernia becomes larger than the abdominal defect, a section of the involved intestine may become entrapped; when this occurs, blood circulation may be cut off and part of the intestine will die. In this event, the hernia is said to be strangulating; this can be a life-threatening situation.
While many other types of abdominal hernias are secondary to trauma, umbilical hernias are usually congenital, secondary to flawed embryonic development. Veterinarians believe that most umbilical hernias are inherited, especially in breeds such as the Airedale, basenji and Pekingese. There may be a correlation between the occurrence of umbilical hernia and cryptorchidism (failure of one or both testes to descend into the scrotal sac at or after birth), which is also a heritable problem.
Veterinarians find that most umbilical hernias are easy to diagnose on physical examination with deep palpation of the area. Abdominal contents may not protrude consistently. They may reduce spontaneously or with digital pressure.
Spontaneous closure of small umbilical hernias has been reported as late as six months of age. Defects that are medium sized are most likely to entrap intestine. Those defects that are very small or very large are unlikely to do so. Correction at the time of neutering is very convenient for male and female dogs. Surgery is advised as soon as possible if the area is bruised, painful or if the contents will not reduce or replace into the abdomen.
Most puppy purchases are protected by state law for a period of time. Most responsible breeders offer a money-back guarantee for a time after purchase. You may wish to purchase the pup provisionally and have him examined by a veterinarian of your choosing to decide about the potential need for surgery to correct the defect. Perhaps the breeder will agree to subtract the projected cost of any recommended surgery from the purchase price.
The puppy should be thoroughly examined for other problems, such as retained testicles, a problem that clearly indicates the need for castration. Both testicles should be descended in a four-month old puppy. If you like the puppy, you should not avoid purchasing him because of the hernia, but since the problem may be heritable, using him for show and breeding may not be advisable.
In any case, the surgical procedure to repair the hernia may be deferred until six months of age to hope for spontaneous closure unless there is an associated health problem. I would not recommend requiring the breeder to have it done prior to purchase.
11/08/00
