Second Hernia Surgery

[Bernie]

Hannah was born with a small hernia that was corrected when she was spayed last April. The hernia returned in the summer, but the vet advised leaving it alone unless it got larger. The hernia continued to grow until it was larger than a half dollar. Hannah will have surgery on Tuesday to correct it again. Someone told me that hernias reoccur when glue is used instead of thread during surgery. Does anyone know of another reason? I want to avoid Hannah having a third surgery if possible. Thanks for any information. Bernie

[Mark]

Hi Bernie,

I'm unfamiliar with hernia's in pets, but just wanted to send some healing rayz to Hannah.

Please keep us posted,

Mark

[Mandy]

Henry was born with an embilical (SP?) hernia. It didn't go away and when he was 4 mos. old he had surgery. The vet used a type of thread that eventually will dissintegrate and be absorbed for the inner stitches and he has not had a problem since (he is now 3 yrs.). My best suggestion....assuming that you trust your vet (and if you don't, get a new one)....is to ask your vet about what might have caused it and see what he/she thinks and will be using.

[Penny's Aunt]

HERNIA 101

With most dogs, there are 2 kinds of hernias: umbilical hernias & inguinal hernias. (There are several other kinds, too, but they are not common.) Both tend to be hereditary -- the muscles in those areas are weak. But they CAN be caused by injury, & getting mauled by a large dog or hit by a car are the first that come to my mind.

Umbilical hernias are right near the umbilicus (belly button). They most often show up after birth, although you may not notice it until weeks later. When the mother dog chews the umbilical cord at birth, she tends to pull on it somewhat. If the pup has the muscle weakness, MomDog may pull just hard enough to tear the muscle a little. It's not MomDog's fault, it's the breeding.

A little tear is not really a big deal. Usually, if the lump you see (it's usually fat under the skin) is only the size of your fingertip or smaller, the hole in the muscle that the fat is oozing through is quite small. Very often the dog never has any further problems, but if a dog has any abdominal surgery (like spaying), it's a good time to fix it (shouldn't cost too much extra), so you can stop worrying.

If the lump is quite large (the size of the end of your thumb or larger), the tear in the muscle is larger. A larger tear can allow a loop of intestine to work its way through the hole & twist (strangulate).

Feel the lump. If everything in the lump feels soft, it's usually fat. This usually isn't an emergency, but if it's large, call the vet as soon as you can.

If the lump is kind of hard & lumpy, it's probably intestine. How is the dog acting? Pain, not moving, panting? Call the vet or emergency clinic & get advice. They will probably want you to bring him in. YES, THIS IS AN EMERGENCY & IT CAN'T WAIT UNTIL MORNING.

This can be both painful & life-threatening, just like in a human. If the loop of intestine twists & the circulation gets cut off, that section of intestine dies. The intestine becomes gangrenous. When it rots enough, it opens & all the bacteria & intestinal acids leak into the abdomen, causing peritonitis (like a ruptured appendix in a human, which dogs don't get). This is a MAJOR, MAJOR situation!

Yes, occasionally a small tear will turn into a larger tear, which is why a small one is often repaired at the vet's suggestion. He's not just inflating the bill.

The other common kind of hernia is the inguinal hernia. Men know about this one! And it's the same kind, too; a weakness of the muscles low in the abdomen in the groin area. Intestines can also come out here, with the same results as above.