Hernia :(

i need some more professional advice.. i guess maybe 'a second opinion' I took Alyusha to the vet today. And the doctor said he has a hernia.. That is normal.. But he said it should have gone away with in 6-9 days of birth. The doctor did no seem to be the best. When he went to get Alyusha on his feet he grabed him byt he skin on his back and he yelped. But what he said really worries me. I know just about ever living mamal is born with a hernia. I talked to the breeder and she said being a rottweiler such a large breed dog, then puppies will most likley have a hernia up to a year old, and just keep and eye on it. The doctor also said dont worrie about it unless he is in pain becase of it. Please help me. Tell me if this is normal, will it close up? I know its possible, i guess i just want to hear good news. because i dont want my baby to go in to surgery or die. So please give me your advice. He is 6 weeks old just so you all know.

By hernia do you mean an opening in the muscles where his navel is that kind of pops out a bit? If that's what it is, you will probably want to have it repaired at some point. Our Kharma has one. Since she's such a large breed (Fila Brasiliero, about 140 pounds full grown), our vet recommends we have it repaired before she is about 5 months old, since her weight will cause the intestines to protrude farther. He also told me to make sure it stays very soft and pliable with no knots or nodules, as that would mean a bit of intestine was caught and would quickly set up a life threatening infection.

You might want to consider a second opinion from another vet. A Rottie is going to be a big, muscular dog, so I would think this would be something that needs to be repaired before he is fully grown. Your vet should be happy to talk to you about what needs to be done and take time to explain it to you and help allay your fears. If a vet doesn't want to be bothered with doing that, then it's time to see another vet. You might want to ask your breeder which vet she uses.

its a umbilical hernia.. its normal in large breed dogs. But it should have been closed by now, But the breeder also says it is common is rottweilers for it not to be closed yet, and the delayed closer will close up hopefully within 6-8 weeks and if now then when he is a year old she will pay for surgery. As of now he is doing fine, and doing his 'buisness' fine. I read that i should atleast once a day push the stuff inside it back in to his body. But if it hurts him i should seek medical help because a body organ most likley the intestinal track is stuck under it. So for noew im tryign to help him heal it and keeping an eye out for swollen areas, and pain. Also i can see the scar where his ambilical cord was cut. it was a nice little circle. And when i feel the hole in his muscle, it is smaller and not so much round, this say to me that it is healing up, so i figure if i try to keep the fat out of it, it will heal up good. I just hope he does not have to go into surgery. About how much would that cost? do you know?

I haven't asked how much it will cost yet, although I would guess somewhere between $200 and $300. Just keep an eye on it and make sure, as your vet told you, that the tissue you see protruding is always soft and easy to very gently push back into the abdominal cavity. Sometimes a bit of intestine is what you see, and it's important that it is soft. It may very well close up on it's own, so just keep an eye on it.

Hi,
dont worry! I understand you worring about it.
If it wher my dogi would be very worried. Me and my family volunteer for are local shelter and soon i will be volunteering at a vet near me.
But we fostered a mom and her pups from the shelter and the mom had a hernia and we realized like at 9:30 pm one night there was something wrong on her skin so we called the doc. and he met us at the vet and told us it was a hernia and told us that it would go away after a while it was normal. and she was a year old and after a few months after we noticed it it just went away.
They just heal by themselves there nothing you can do to help it it usualy doesnt cause them pain.
Sometimes they can have to have surgary. But with how young yours is i am just about positive it will not have to have surgary they can not die from them.
are dog was a year and still did not have surgary. So i think yours will be just fine!

ok that is good. mayne people tell me not to worrie it will close up.. but its the bad side that scares me.

Thank you, and by the way i have gotten many more photos of him as soon as i find my digital camera wire i will put them on his site...

Just keep an eye on it like you're doing. Hopefully it will close up on its own. The thing to remember, though, is that in large breed dogs, if it doesn't close up, it will need to be repaired as the dog's weight will cause the intestines to keep protruding more and more.