Is my dog a beagle mix? He has a small belly hernia, does he need surgery?

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It does look like umbilical hernia. As long as it is not getting bigger, there is no danger for Gracie. Umbilical hernia rarely causes any problems to dogs, unless it is very large (it does not look large in Gracie). This hernia can be surgically repaired, it is usually done at the same time as neutering (during one surgery).

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! From your picture it appears as though Kilo has an umbilical hernia. They are non painful and do not have to be fixed. They usually do not cause a problem. They are genetic and it is not recommended to breed dogs that have them. Some dogs that have umbilical hernias are also cryptorchid (undescended testicle(s)). I can tell you that most of my clients fix the hernia when they spay or neuter the puppy. If you are not going to breed Kilo then it is recommend to neuter him but this is your personal choice. I would wait until he is a year old then decide. Neutering doesn't protect against prostate cancer but it does prevent all the other prostate diseases. If he marks in your house or becomes aggressive I recommend neutering. I hope this helps!

Hi Annie! From your pictures, it does look like Coco has an umblical hernia, but I can't say for certain without seeing her in person. Luckily these are easily fixed when a dog is spayed, so when you make the appointment to have that done, the vet can discuss fixing it at the same time. It's never recommended to breed a dog with an umblical hernia because they are hereditary. Give your vet a call to make an appointment to have her spayed. Best of luck, I hope this helps!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. She may have developed a umbilical cyst and not necessarily a hernia. These are typically benign and cause no harm. If you want to be sure of what this is, I would recommend having your veterinarian examine Roxy and this area to help better determine what this could be. Additional testing such as a fine needle aspirate, where the vet inserts a small needle into the lump and looks at the cells under the microscope, can easily be done. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further!

This does look like an umbilical hernia, but I cannot say for sure without seeing Smokey in person. No, they do not go away on their own, they need to be repaired surgically. Have it checked out by a vet, and you can discuss having it fixed when you get him neutered. Dogs who have umbilical hernias should never be bred because it's a heritable condition. Best of luck.

This does look like it could be a hernia, although I cannot be 100% certain based on a picture. You can try to gently palpate the area and see if you are able to reduce the swelling by pushing it back in toward the abdominal cavity. If the swelling reduces easily then it is most likely a hernia. If it is firm or painful something else is probably going on. Hernias in young puppies can sometimes resolve on their own but sometimes will need surgery (but not until the pup is older). The danger in leaving a hernia untreated is that a portion of the intestine can become entrapped and lose blood supply. This is usually a life threatening situation. Since you are unable to take him to the vet now just try to keep a very close eye on the swelling. If it becomes firm or painful or if your puppy stops nursing or pooping he will need to be seen by your vet. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

Yes, it is important to have surgery done on this because if left untreated, it can be serious. A loop of intestine can become entrapped in this hernia, which will make the dog very sick. Puchku should have this fixed, and I would have it done when you have him neutered (if he isn't already neutered). Because umbilical hernias are hereditary, dogs with them should never be bred. Best of luck.