Puppy shots and hernia repair cost for an 8-week-old German Shepherd?

Hi there! She will need to have a check-up with your veterinarian and her first set of vaccines as soon as you get her. After that, it's fine for her to be around healthy vaccinated dogs, sign up for puppy kindergarten classes, etc. - but I would not take her dog parks or other high-traffic areas with lots of unknown dogs until she is completely finished with her vaccine series at 16+ weeks of age. Some umblical hernias are harmless and don't need to be fixed, while others do. Your veterinarian should be able to determine this at the time of her exam. If the hernia does need to be repaired, this can usually be done at the same time as her spay to avoid having to have two separate anesthetic procedures. Dogs are typically spayed at around 4-6 months of age. This can often be scheduled in conjunction with the pup's last set of vaccines, if you wish. Cost for a spay and hernia repair will vary widely depending on where you live and which specific vet clinic you go to, so I would suggest calling around to some local clinics in your area for prices if this is a concern.

I would not buy the puppy. You want to buy a healthy puppy and not one that will cost you extra when being spayed. Also this puppy will not be suitable for breeding as umbilical hernias carry a hereditary risk. It is relatively easy to fix a simple umbilical hernia during the spay, however if you chose not to spay your puppy, fixing the hernia will cost almost as much as a spay, which is why we usually fix a hernia during the spay. That way the dog only has to have one anesthesia and surgery. I think you can find a healthy puppy without a hernia elsewhere, or get one from the breeder that has no hernia.

It will vary a lot between vets, it can usually be incorporated into the spay wound. It does mean the wound is bigger so takes longer to stitch. Personally I would only add on 30 to 50 dollars to cover for the extra time and extra anaesthetic.

Not sure in USA (I am a UK vet), but as far as my knowledge goes, it is anything between 50 and 90 USD. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

Hi and thanks for posting! Umbilical hernias are recommended to be repaired at or around the time of neutering to prevent the hernia from becoming larger and also prevent the intestines from becoming trapped or strangulated in the hernia. Umbilical hernias can be genetic, so it is recommended dogs with these are not bred. I hope this helps and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

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!

Hello, it depends if it is non reducible vs reducible. If it’s non reducible it may be an umbilical remnant and that should be fine. If it is reducible, the hernia could get bigger with breeding and she should have it repaired before breeding. Hope this helps and best of luck