Hi. We are about to become first time beagle owners (very excited) and have noticed the herniated bellybutton. I have read the message and answers posted previously regarding this but am wondering if the doctors wanting to immed. spay means that the herniation could affect her ability to have puppies. We were planning on letting her have a litter.
Also, is the general consensus to go ahead and have it removed or not.
(Pregnancy notwithstanding)
Also- can it affect her agility? Can it grow? and does or can it hurt her?
Thanks so Much!!! Steph
herniated belly button
Moderators: Pike Ridge Beagles, Aaron Bartlett
the reason the vet wanted to spayed her was that he said it was heridty and she shouldnt pass this on to offspring.as far as fixing it they didnt.they said it wasnt that big of a deal.i had three total litters with the same stud and she was the only one with this hernia.we did not have her spayed.so far it hasnt affected her ability.she is 5 months old and has had 2 cottontails killed in front of her.running pretty good for a 5 month old pup.
Good (but sometimes conflicting) info can be found here http://www.canineonline.com/articles/ar ... ales6.html and here http://www.showdogsupersite.com/kenlclu ... lical.html.
Depending on whose view you take, such hernias are either generally or always hereditary, so by breeding your bitch, you could be passing down genetic faults. Even if they do not appear in your litter, those puppies would still carry the recessive gene. It may cause serious health problems, or it may end up being nothing at all. But if there is a health problem, the most dangerous time is - you guessed it - when your bitch is pregnant or giving birth. The concerns surrounding a hernia depend on the size, so it's one of those "case-by-case" problems that doesn't have a right-or-wrong answer.
It's one thing for a vet to recommend spaying a dog or not breeding a dog...it's another thing to recommend IMMEDIATELY spaying a dog. Since fixing the hernia can go hand-in-hand with a spaying operation, I wonder if the vet thinks your hernia problem is an immediate health concern and wants to take care of that quickly, too, during a spay. I'd get a clarification from that vet.
Depending on whose view you take, such hernias are either generally or always hereditary, so by breeding your bitch, you could be passing down genetic faults. Even if they do not appear in your litter, those puppies would still carry the recessive gene. It may cause serious health problems, or it may end up being nothing at all. But if there is a health problem, the most dangerous time is - you guessed it - when your bitch is pregnant or giving birth. The concerns surrounding a hernia depend on the size, so it's one of those "case-by-case" problems that doesn't have a right-or-wrong answer.
It's one thing for a vet to recommend spaying a dog or not breeding a dog...it's another thing to recommend IMMEDIATELY spaying a dog. Since fixing the hernia can go hand-in-hand with a spaying operation, I wonder if the vet thinks your hernia problem is an immediate health concern and wants to take care of that quickly, too, during a spay. I'd get a clarification from that vet.
Some questions here... How old is the dog? How big is the hernia? Why did the vet want it fixed immediately? Have you been to this vet before?
Small hernias usually don't pose much of a problem and some may resolve on their own.
If it is rather large, you run the risk of part of the intestines getting in there and whatever is in the intestine at that point gets stuck in there and doesn't move on down the line. This is where the problem is. Infection is soon to come and that can lead to a dead dog if not caught in time.
Vets are ordinary people and there may be an occasional one bad apple that is just out to make a $ off of the new and inexperienced dog owner. We have such a vet in my home town where I grew up. She is rediculously expensive and will run every test that she is allowed to get away with so she can charge more money. Pretty soon, she won't have a client base left and will have to move on.
It is true, the hernia is easily repaired when spaying the dog. The vet will just make the incision in the area of the hernia when doing the operation and then will sew it up when finished with the procedure.
You always have the right to get a second opinion. If yuo are concerned about the advice you received, go visit another vet and don't mention that you have been to see one already. Just ask what you should do.
No one can make the decision to breed or not to breed your dog but you. Use your own moral standards to make your decision.
Welcome to the wonderful world of beagling.
Emery
Small hernias usually don't pose much of a problem and some may resolve on their own.
If it is rather large, you run the risk of part of the intestines getting in there and whatever is in the intestine at that point gets stuck in there and doesn't move on down the line. This is where the problem is. Infection is soon to come and that can lead to a dead dog if not caught in time.
Vets are ordinary people and there may be an occasional one bad apple that is just out to make a $ off of the new and inexperienced dog owner. We have such a vet in my home town where I grew up. She is rediculously expensive and will run every test that she is allowed to get away with so she can charge more money. Pretty soon, she won't have a client base left and will have to move on.
It is true, the hernia is easily repaired when spaying the dog. The vet will just make the incision in the area of the hernia when doing the operation and then will sew it up when finished with the procedure.
You always have the right to get a second opinion. If yuo are concerned about the advice you received, go visit another vet and don't mention that you have been to see one already. Just ask what you should do.
No one can make the decision to breed or not to breed your dog but you. Use your own moral standards to make your decision.
Welcome to the wonderful world of beagling.
Emery
Be ye kind one unto another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. Ephesians 4:32
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Guest
Re: herniated belly button
The puppy will be 8 weeks old on Feb. 1st. The hernia looks to be the size of a quarter. The breeders vet said it is no big deal usually and the breeder agreed to have it repaired if I wanted. I don't particulary want her to have an op. right off the bat. How will I know if it is becoming strangulated? Any advice for us as new dog owners is so appreciated. We may be inexperienced but we are committed! Thanks.
I would be concerned if there were a quarter-sized anything on a 7 week-old pup of mine. The only dog I've had in my care that had one was 6 months old, and hers was about that same size. My vet suggested I have it taken care of ASAP. I don't know how hard it would be to operate on a young pup, but I know that shelters often spay/neuter dogs at 2-3 months or less, and I don't imagine that fixing the hernia would be more of a surgery than spaying would.
According to what my vet told me...monitor it and see if it changes in size as the pup grows and keep an eye on how much is pushing out through the hole. You'd need to start worrying anytime the dog loses its appetite, has diarrhea spells, starts vomiting, acts lethargic, etc...things that are going to happen with a dog from time-to-time whether or not there's a problem with the hernia. So it may be hard to tell if the hernia is giving the dog problems until there's something seriously wrong, and you may have plenty of false panics before that point.
May I ask why you plan on having a litter with her?
According to what my vet told me...monitor it and see if it changes in size as the pup grows and keep an eye on how much is pushing out through the hole. You'd need to start worrying anytime the dog loses its appetite, has diarrhea spells, starts vomiting, acts lethargic, etc...things that are going to happen with a dog from time-to-time whether or not there's a problem with the hernia. So it may be hard to tell if the hernia is giving the dog problems until there's something seriously wrong, and you may have plenty of false panics before that point.
May I ask why you plan on having a litter with her?
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Guest
This brings up a good point also about the importance of your hounds bite. The need of the hound to have a scissor or even bite. This is needed to close & cut the cord after welping the pup. A hound with a uneven bit will have to tear or try to chew the cord with the rear teeth and may cause a hernia in the process...Patch