That should have been "navel"; unless a dog joined the navy. I'll be
leaving on a 3 week cruise the middle of the week; so I guess my mind
is elsewhere rather than on doggy belly buttons.
Nevertheless, all hernias (of any noticeable size after 12 weeks)
probably should be surgically repaired.
In this case, your vet will be the best judge of just how large and
how serious your pup's inguinal hernia actually is.
Your vet will also be the best judge if there is any possibility of
this hernia closing on it's own as the pup matures. Since your pup
is under 12 weeks old, there is some chance. If this were an older
female with a sizable inguinal hernia, then, I feel that it
definitely would need surgical repair ASAP to avoid complications.
"Inguinal Dog Hernia
Inguinal hernias occur where the abdominal muscles meet that of the
hind legs. They occur as birth defects ... These hernias are more
serious than umbilical hernias because the intestines can protrude,
disrupting the normal digestive process. Replacement of the herniated
material and suturing the tear or defective muscle must be done to
correct this type of hernia."
No matter what - unless you know a physical episode that led to a
specific hernia, do not breed from any dog that has or had a hernia
as a pup - not even after surgical repair. Surgery repairs the
hole, but it does not change the genetics that may have caused the hernia.
Sorry about grabbing quotes off the Web. You could have looked the
same sites up yourself...
Good luck with your new puppy.
Liz
...than a naval hernia. A naval hernia...
