Puppy Issues

[MattM 2]

I am looking to buy a new Jack Russell Pup. I have been to view one today. It is a 7 week old bitch, but has a small hernia. Is this a problem and should I avoid?

[Sammy666 49]

Got a russell pup give to me with a hernia when he was 7 weeks old he 9 mounth old now and hes fine and its nearly disaperd.took him to vet when he a pup they told me to get it removed but i took him to two other vets and they said leave it it usually dosent affect the dog and should grow out off it.glad i did it causes him no bother and very tiny now.

[Squirrel_Basher 17,100]

If its umbilical hernia (where cord was ) then as said usually disappears but lower needs stitching back .Used to have a bitch that had one all her life with no probs but not ideal really .

[MattM 2]

Yes it is umbilical. I am a bit dubious about buying a pup which may need surgery or have problems later..

[harvey88 40]

I once brought a pup with a umbilical hernia. I also asked for advice of a number of different vets. The best advice i got was wait until the pup is fully grown 12+ months old and then take it to the vets for a small operation to have it stitched costing no more than a £100.

 

One vet wanted to spay her at the earliest oppurtunity telling me that a bitch with a hernia should never be bred from. Yet another vet that keeps gundogs told me that his best spaniel has always had a hernia and he plans to take a litter from her this summer. Needless to say i will never be using the vet that advised to spay again.

[Squirrel_Basher 17,100]

Its definitely not hereditary and applies to the way in which the umbilical cord is cut ,chewed by the bitch .

[lurchers 2,866]

Yes it is umbilical. I am a bit dubious about buying a pup which may need surgery or have problems later..

It's a breeding fault to but a cheap op,tell him to knock the price of the op off if you like the dog mate.some go away like said and some need the op.atb

[whitefeet4190 1,729]

If u can get the tip of your index finger inside it then the chances are you will have to have the op done which is no more than £120 but if u can't get your finger inside it the chances are it will be fine, the thing you don't want to happen is if the hole grows in size as the pup gets older but with what I just said if you can't get your finger in it now it shouldn't grow with the dog.

 

All the best with it

[HPR 1,161]

As above when I had to have some done it was only 60 quid .

[hjckcff 1,738]

leave it . and buy yourself a pup without a hernia. simples

[MattM 2]

Thanks for the advice. I have decided to leave it. I shall keep looking for the right one.

[skycat 6,173]

There are two sorts of umbilical hernia, though one isn't a true hernia (hole into the abdomen where the innards poke through). Most hernias are simply a small amount of fatty tissue that gets stuck when the hole closes, and they don't cause a problem. If there is a hole, as whitefeet describes, then that may have to be surgically closed, though unless it is on a bitch which you want to breed from even that doesn't usually cause a problem. As far as being hereditary goes, there is some evidence to suggest that hernias can have genetic causes, but not always.

http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/care/herniasindogs.htm