Umbilical Hernia
occurs when the ring within the umbilical cord which passes nutrition,
blood and oxygen from mother to fetus fails to close. Normally this
area generally closes after the birth. In some cases it does not and
a bit of intestine or omentum (a slippery thin sheet of tissue which is
present in the abdomen, its surfaces produce serous fluid which lubricates
the abdominal organs and makes it possible for them to slide against each
other without rubbing) protrudes through the abdominal wall without any
rupture of the skin. It can be attributed to heredity or caused by
the umbilical cord being severed to close to the abdomen wall.
In some cases this
is not always a true hernia. Some breeders recommend placing the
puppy on its back while gently massaging the fat through the opening while
the puppy is growing at least once a day, it may just be slow in closing.
This will reduce the tissue escaping through the opening allowing the ring
to close. In other situations it is a true hernia were you run the
risk of a portion of the intestine becoming strangulated in the protruding
tissue. This is a serious problem that will require surgery.
Other times it may just be the omentum is entrapped in a bubble outside
the essentially closed body wall. Very tiny holes with a small
bubble of omentum do not require surgery. However, larger holes
should be surgically closed to prevent the intestine becoming
strangulated. This corrective surgery may be done when spaying or
neutering.
It is advised that
breeders remove this line from their breeding program. As with any
other polygenic trait it can be eliminated by progeny testing.
