My old dog has a perineal hernia. Can neutering help avoid surgery?

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Dino. I am guessing you are referring to a perineal hernia based on your description. You can attempt to manage him with a high fiber diet with extra moisture such as adding canned food or water to the dry food. He will likely need a prescription stool softener as well. In my experience, this will help, but I still find the dog will need surgery. When the dog requires repeated enemas or manual evacuation of the feces by the veterinarian, you will know medical management is not working. I have also seen a rectal prolapse from the dog straining to defecate. Neutering will helps as well with hernia repair. I hope this information helps!

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. The perineal hernia will not correct by itself, it will not get better after castration either. It may stay as a small hernia and you will never have to do anything about it, but it may get bigger and you may have to get it fixed surgically. It is not an emergency as long as Bodie is going to the toilet without any difficulties. There is not much that you can do to prevent it. You have to avoid constipation, and his diet should be rich in fibre.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! From your picture it appears as though Kilo has an umbilical hernia. They are non painful and do not have to be fixed. They usually do not cause a problem. They are genetic and it is not recommended to breed dogs that have them. Some dogs that have umbilical hernias are also cryptorchid (undescended testicle(s)). I can tell you that most of my clients fix the hernia when they spay or neuter the puppy. If you are not going to breed Kilo then it is recommend to neuter him but this is your personal choice. I would wait until he is a year old then decide. Neutering doesn't protect against prostate cancer but it does prevent all the other prostate diseases. If he marks in your house or becomes aggressive I recommend neutering. I hope this helps!

Perineal surgery is extremely difficult due to the abnormal/stretched anatomy and narrow safety margins to avoid major nerves and blood vessels. As the muscles and nerves have been stretched and displaced, normal outline and normal healing is unpredictable and outcomes are not certain. Infection of the surgical site is a significant risk also and many patients which develop hernias also have additional complicating factors with regards to anesthetic safety also. Recovery is slow, painful and often incomplete and such a surgery should never be undertaken lightly. I am sure your vet would have considered all possible risks and outcomes in assessing his case

Many of these anal tumors are fed by sexual hormones such as testosterone. They are dependent on the hormones the body produces naturally (testosterone is naturally produced in the testicles) which makes such tumors grow. If you remove the hormone producing testicles (neutering) the hormone-dependent tumor gets starved and its growth will at least slow down. So castration is definitely advised. Anesthesia nowadays is quite safe and castration is not such a severe surgery. It may give your dog a longer life at a good quality of life.

Yes, it is true that dogs who haven't been neutered are prone to developing anal tumors. Given I can't see him in person, I can't say what the best course of action is for him, but following your vet's recommendation would be best for him in my opinion :-)

This will depend on the size and extent of the hernia as the surgeon needs to be able to visualize the entire defect in order to close it. So the easiest way to find out would be to ask the veterinarian who diagnosed the hernia.