My 9-month-old dog has a hernia and won't eat. Is it the hernia?

Oh my. Poor girl. This is either a hernia or a really badly infected anal gland. I would highly recommend taking her to your vet asap to have this evaluated. I am leaning more towards a hernia as the cause, and she needs to get medical attention for this soon if this is the case. I wish you all the best moving fowrad with your pet Baby girl! Best wishes and take care!

I am concerned that Goldie's umbilical hernia seems larger. If the hernia has opened up more, then the abdominal organs such as the omentum and intestines can slip through the hole, leading to strangulation of them. That would make her quite uncomfortable to sit and lie down, and pain would cause her to shake. Based on this, yes I would have Goldie see an emergency vet now.

I am so sorry to hear of your concerns for Hazel! It certainly sounds like a hernia could be the cause of the swelling. These are usually corrected surgically and can be easily incorporated into her spay procedure. In the United States this is typically recommended to be done at around 6 months, but you should chat with your veterinarian and see what age they recommend scheduling Hazel for her procedure. The risk with a hernia is that intestines and other abdominal organs may become entrapped in the hernia and this can create an emergency situation. Monitor carefully for signs that the swelling is firm or painful, or if Hazel goes off her food and seems uncomfortable.

It sounds like this is probably an umbilical hernia if it is above the spay incision. If the hernia is large and changes in size there could be risk of organs becoming entrapped in the space - pain and vomiting would be the two most common symptoms. If it is small or if it closed around a small amount of fat then there may not be any concern. A hernia shouldn't be related to a wheezing cough - this could be a sign of kennel cough or other respiratory infections, and if it continues I'd recommend having Harley examined by your vet.

Hernia’s generally never heal on their own. Depending on the size of the hernia (the larger the more urgent) and whether or not the bulge can be pushed back into the abdomen (if a loop of intestines can come through, Vs just abdominal fat …it is at risk of getting twisted and dying/strangulating) your vet may recommend an emergency hernia repair or repair it at the time of her spay (recommended to prevent pyometra). Getting the hernia palapated/examined by your vet at Minnie’s vaccine appointments is recommended. Congratulations on your new puppy!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Coco. It is common for umbilical hernias to go from reducible to non-reducible as the dog grows. I typically surgically repair it at the time of the spay. If you are not planning on spaying her, it still should be corrected. However, it is not an emergency as long as it not red, painful and she is not acting ill. Most of the time, it is just a bit of abdominal fat that slip through the opening in the abdominal wall (the hernia). The risk is if an internal organ such as a loop of intestine slips through the defect. In this case, the hernia would be painful to the touch and Coco would likely be vomiting and showing signs of pain. This is very rare though. I hope this information helps!

Inguinal hernias are serious and should always be repaired as intestines can get stuck in there. If it is an umbilical hernia it may or may need to be repaired depending on the size. It is best to have her examined by your vet. They will be able to tell you more after examining her. The black spots are likely normal pigment change of the skin as the dog ages. There is nothing you can give or do to prevent them.