Hernia in Dogs

Given that parents love stroking their pets, it’s not uncommon for loving hands to find lumps and bumps on a dog’s body — some of these are serious and others are benign in nature. 

Hernias sit somewhere in the middle. As any human who’s suffered from the medical condition will know only too well, they can be mighty painful and lead to a raft of other unwelcome symptoms. However, the good news is they can usually be treated successfully by a vet.

Read our guide to hernia in dogs, and you’ll discover:

• Symptoms of a hernia in a dog include fever, lethargy and even vomiting
• Hernias in dogs are usually hereditary
• Dogs can get a hernia through trauma
• There are different types of hernia — including Diaphragmatic hernia, hiatal hernia and Umbilical hernia
• Some hernias can require surgery to treat
  
  

What is a Hernia in Dogs?

A hernia is an abnormal opening in a muscle in which an organ or other tissues can pass through to reach other body parts. This will sometimes lead to external swelling. Can dogs get a hernia? Yes, they can.

While hernias in humans occur typically due to overexertion — by lifting something too heavy, or with a poor technique — in the case of a dog hernia, all the different types can be a condition a dog is born with.

These different types are umbilical, diaphragmatic, inguinal, hiatal and perineal; hernias in dogs are usually found near the belly button, the groin, diaphragm or perineal area.

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What does a hernia look like in a dog? Symptoms of hernias in dogs are typically:

• Cramping
• Fever
• Lethargy
• Numbness in the legs
• Reduced appetite
• Vomiting of food or water

It’s important to act quickly if you see any of the behaviors listed above. In the worst case scenarios, a dog may even die if bacterial toxins are able to make their way into the body after tissues break down — this could happen as quickly as 24 to 48 hours if your dog is not treated immediately.

Genetics

In over 90 per cent of cases, hernias in dogs are hereditary — the only exception to this is hiatal hernias. This is more of a puppy hernia, as vets mostly treat the disorder in dogs of less than a year old.

As a result, vets will often recommend spaying or neutering dogs susceptible to hernias to avoid the condition being potentially passed on to a set of puppies. Even dogs who have had a surgical repair on their own hernias are generally discouraged from reproducing again.

If a pregnant female dog's hernia is found, it’s advised that both the mother and the puppies should all be spayed or neutered as soon as possible to prevent the disorder from continuing to spread.

It seems cruel, but, as with all other genetic disorders, there’s currently no other way of stopping an inherited disorder from being passed onto offspring. 

However, you should be aware that dogs can get a hernia even after being spayed, though it’s relatively rare. Hernias can be a result of an improper healing process after being spayed, such as the dog overexerting themselves and tearing internal stitches across the abdomen.

Trauma

Although it’s much rarer, hernias can be the result of significant trauma at any age. Muscles can be damaged during injuries, such as traffic collisions or dog bites, which can lead to a hernia developing.

There are no ways to prevent accidents from happening aside from following common sense when it comes to things like leash control. Your vet will check for internal damage during an examination after the incident in question.

At the same time, the trauma can come from another health condition. For example, the straining from regular bouts of constipation can place stress on muscles and lead to a tear. 

How are hernias in dogs diagnosed? Considering hernias consist of tissue moving into the wrong place, your vet will first be on the lookout for what doesn’t look quite right in certain regions of the dog’s body.

The vet will also look for any signs of respiratory or abdominal disorders, as well as hard or painful bulges. Because those hard bulges could lead to fatalities if bacteria are able to travel through the muscle tissue, those areas will be focused on immediately before moving on to any other potential hernia spots.

A contrast study will often help confirm the diagnosis. This process uses a special dye — administered orally or by needle injection — that makes it easy to highlight where the hernia is on X-ray film or digitally, depending on the available equipment.

Different Types of Hernia in Dogs

There are different types of hernias that can affect your pup. The five main ones that vets tend to watch out for are: diaphragmatic, hiatal, inguinal, perineal and umbilical. Each type is named differently after the various parts of the body they affect:

• Diaphragmatic Hernia — This takes its name from the diaphragm, a muscle that lies under the lungs and separates the chest cavity from the abdomen. Diaphragmatic hernia in dogs occurs when the liver or stomach bulges through the diaphragm and moves into the lung area.

• Hiatal Hernia — Similar to the above, this type also involves the diaphragm. However, a hiatal hernia happens when the stomach protrudes through the natural opening between the esophagus and the stomach. This usually leaves no external lump and is more commonly seen in male dogs.

• Inguinal Hernia — This occurs in the inguinal canal, an opening of the muscle wall in a dog’s groin. If the opening of the canal widens, abdominal contents can pass through and an inguinal dog hernia often be seen as a bulge at the point at which the hind leg meets the belly. Older female dogs are likely candidates for an inguinal hernia.

• Perineal Hernia — These occur within the pelvic floor muscles, which keep the abdominal organs in the correct position. This can be potentially dangerous if the bladder or a loop of the intestine moves through the tear. A vet will land on this diagnosis if they see swelling around the anus. Older male dogs are at higher risk of a perineal hernia, especially if they haven’t been neutered.

• Umbilical Hernia — The umbilicus is the medical term for the belly button, the point at which a puppy was once connected to their mother. Umbilical hernia in dogs can occur when abdominal organs push against this area and will be easy to spot as a swelling underneath the rib cage.

You can learn more about hernia repair here.

How long can a dog live with a hernia? That depends on the severity of the case. Sometimes nothing needs to be done at all — small inguinal hernias will often close without medical attention, particularly with male dogs.

If the hernia is caught early or is what’s known as reducible, the protruding matter can sometimes just be pushed back into the correct position. Oral antacids are one of the home remedies for dog hernias prescribed by vets in non-life-threatening cases. 

In more serious instances — perhaps when there’s a blockage or the blood supply is being cut off — correctional surgery will be required. This can prevent tissue from attaching itself to other organs.

The cost of hernia surgery and treatment varies, but the average cost is around $1,600. Thankfully, the prognosis is typically positive and the dog should heal as usual, but times may vary. General healing time is typically 10-14 days.

As long as the surgery is successful, the dog should be able to go back to a healthy lifestyle. However, vets will more often than not recommend that the dog be spayed or neutered to avoid potential puppies having the same problem as the parents.

In the case of a hiatal hernia, pet owners may have to feed a dog more frequently than normal due to slower digestion. Eventually, the dog should heal as usual, but times may vary.

After surgery, be careful with exercising your dog. You’ll probably be advised to stick to short walks, on the lead, for a time after your dog has undergone surgery to avoid the risk of stitches tearing and experiencing any damage to the affected area.

Watch out for your dog licking the incision site, too. If he or she can’t leave it alone, they may have to wear a cone to prevent them from reaching their stitches.

It’s hard to prevent hernias from happening, but they’re a lot easier to treat, especially with a good vet on your side — a wellness plan will keep you and your dog in regular contact with this expert.