i got a 6 week old german shepherd puppy on sunday. she had a small bump on her tummy and the breeder said she had just noticed it but that the puppies had all just been to the vet the day before and nothing was said about it so it must not be anything major. i took her to my vet on monday and was told it was an umbilical hernia. i have dealt with quite a few puppies but have never seen one of these and know very little to nothing about them. my vet said that he would remove it when she is spayed. should i be worried about this? i'm considering getting a second opinion also. are there any breeders or pet owners that have had any experiance with this problem? i have also talked to people who have said their dogs have suffered long term effects from having an umbilical hernia. i have been told i should contact the breeder and possibly even take the puppy back or get a partial refund. any suggestions/recomendations will be greatly appreciated. thanks!
You should take the puppy back. Any breeder that lets a puppy go at 6 weeks is a RED FLAG. If that's just your first problem with the puppy, you can be right in expecting many more.
i guess i shouldn't have made the mistake of mentioning that i got her at 6weeks. i forget how opinionated people are on that subject. oh and returning her to the breeder is not an option.
This message has been edited. Last edited by: oneshotkimber,
Seriously, just for emotional and physical development you never get a puppy before 8 weeks.
But, if your dog has an herniated umbilical cord AT THAT AGE, then you're in for a world of heart break. That's already done ireprible damage. SECOND OPINION NOW! GO NOW! DO NOT PASS GO< DO NOT COLLECT $200!!!!
Are you listening yet? Do your dog a favor, save it's life by going to another vet RIGHT NOW!!!!
i'm sorry that the only breeder i could find, without having to drive 500 miles away or having the puppy shipped to me, sells their puppies at 6 weeks. i realize that it's in the puppies best interest to wait a few more weeks before taking them from their littermates/mother. however, that's already be done and it's not the subject of this post. the umbilical hernia has nothing to do with the fact that the puppy was weaned at 6weeks. so unless someone can prove to me otherwise i would appreciate it if people would stick to the subject. thanks.
I don't know much about umbilical hernias, but as someone who has seen what happens when puppies leave the litter before eight weeks- I have a bit of advice. Saying not to get a dog until they're eight weeks old isn't about being opinionated. It's about experience and knowledge. In some states it's even illegal to sell a puppy under eight weeks. What happens is that the dog doesn't really learn how to speak dog. My beagle (whom I got at six weeks) does not know what a growl means. My pointer can growl and growl at her, but Carley will not stop whatever she's doing. She doesn't understand. I don't think she'd know to growl if the occassion came up where she were to bite someone in order to warn them to stop. Bite inhibition is another thing that puppies do not learn if they leave the litter before eight weeks. This means that the dog will not realise how hard they are biting and to control it. You have to teach this now. You must allow the puppy to bite you and when it gets a little too hard, yelp like a puppy, turn around, ignore the pup for a minute, and baby whatever part of you hurt. You need to get the puppy around a bunch of other dogs/puppies once they finish their puppy vaccines. Take SEVERAL puppy kindergarton classes in order to get them special playtime with other puppies. This will help them learn how to "speak" dog and bite inhibition. Getting Carley at six weeks was possibly the biggest mistake I've ever made with her. It poses many dangers and it could have been prevented.
As far as the hernia goes, get a second opinion and neuter early.
she's already enrolled in puppy preschool. she plays with my other two dogs one of which is 8 months old. however, i'm sure that's not good enough for you people. ok so i'm a horrible person. i bought a puppy at 6 weeks. it's not a crime in my state sorry to break it to you. thanks for nothing. i know about dogs. i know how to train them and how to socialize them. my dogs are my life and i would do anything and everything for them. after posting on this board i've decided that everyone who gives their "advice" on here thinks they are a smarter and better dog owner than anyone else who posts on here. i came here looking for people who have eperianced what i'm going through and who could help me know what to expect. i got no helpful advice here and will never post on here or visit here again. in my opinion it's been a waste of my time. i've talked to 4 seperate vets and they all say that umbilical hernias are common and i should only be worried if it gets bigger, sore or worse. that's more help than i got from any of you weirdos.
Originally posted by oneshotkimber: she's already enrolled in puppy preschool. she plays with my other two dogs one of which is 8 months old. however, i'm sure that's not good enough for you people. ok so i'm a horrible person. i bought a puppy at 6 weeks. it's not a crime in my state sorry to break it to you. thanks for nothing. i know about dogs. i know how to train them and how to socialize them. my dogs are my life and i would do anything and everything for them. after posting on this board i've decided that everyone who gives their "advice" on here thinks they are a smarter and better dog owner than anyone else who posts on here. i came here looking for people who have eperianced what i'm going through and who could help me know what to expect. i got no helpful advice here and will never post on here or visit here again. in my opinion it's been a waste of my time. i've talked to 4 seperate vets and they all say that umbilical hernias are common and i should only be worried if it gets bigger, sore or worse. that's more help than i got from any of you weirdos.
Post on any good dog forum and you'll get very similar responses. Getting a dog at six weeks is a big mistake. Noone said that you're a horrible person. If you would have read my post you would have realised that I made the same mistake. I also enrolled her in a puppy class, had another dog, had dogs visit, and took her out in public all of the time. She still has problems because she was taken too early. Oh well, I don't really care that you're leaving. You don't seem like the kind of person who wants to ever be told they did something wrong. That's not the type of person that should be on any type of forum. Enjoy your puppy and I hope the best for her.
This thread is one of the reasons I seldom bother to read or post here anymore. Couldn't you guys have simply answered the original question instead of going completely off topic and filling it with tirades regarding the age of the puppy?
Canine Hernia
A hernia is a protrusion or bulge of a part of the body tissue, fat, or an organ through an abnormal opening of the surrounding tissues. There are numerous types of hernias, each type named after its affected area.
A hernia which can be pushed back into the abdomen is called reducible. Hernias which are not reducible are called incarcerated. If the blood supply to an incarcerated hernia is pinched off the hernia becomes strangulated. A strangulated hernia is an emergency situation and must be brought to the immediate attention of your veterinarian. Some of the most common types of hernias are: Umbilical hernia An umbilical hernia is the most common type of hernia found in puppies. In the case of umbilical hernias, a portion of fat or internal organs protrudes through an incompletely closed umbilical ring. Umbilical hernias may be present at birth, or may be acquired. The most common means of acquiring an umbilical hernia is as a result of the umbilical cord being severed too close to the abdominal wall. In most cases umbilical hernias are small and reduce as the puppy grows. Generally, by the time the pup is six months old the umbilical hernia will shrink and disappear on its own. If the pup has a large hernia, or one that can be pushed into the abdomen with a finger, consult your veterinarian regarding possible surgical repair.
Inguinal hernia An inguinal hernia is the result of abdominal organs, fat or tissue protruding through the inguinal ring. Inguinal hernias are presented as skin-covered bulges in the groin. They can be bilateral, involving both sides, or unilateral, involving only one side. Inguinal hernias are more common in females than males, but do occur in both sexes. As with umbilical hernias most inguinal hernias will shrink and disappear as the puppy grows, although you must keep an eye on the size of the hernia(s). Inguinal hernias can also occur in unspayed, middle-aged female dogs. This may occur as the result of stretching of abdominal tissue due to pregnancy, or atrophy of abdominal tissue and musculature due to advanced age.
Diaphragmatic hernia A diaphragmatic hernia is the result of a tear in the diaphragm which allows abdominal organ portions to pass into the chest area. The most common occurrence of a diaphragmatic hernia is following an accident. If the tear is small, there may not be any obvious clinical indications. If the hernia is significant, however, there are indications such as strained respiration, lack of appetite, difficulty swallowing or vomiting. If a large portion of the abdominal organ have passed through the diaphragmatic tear the dog tends to stand with an extremely "tucked up" abdominal area. "
I think the six weeks issue is a good one? Is this post about it? No.
But she asked "should she bring the dog back"? When buying from a breeder, that's one of the first things that's evaluated, how old are they letting the pups go?
Obviously not an ethical breeder. The OP excuses of having to drive, blah blah blah, are just another example of an ill planned buy from a backyard breeder just for a "cute" puppy. Maybe after a little common sense and compassion is brought on by this post, the OP, and others that read this, will think twice about buying a six week old puppy from an unethical breeder.
well I think that if you are so concerned and would like to discuss the 6 week issue then you should start a post about it and talk about it. Like applesmom said - that is not what she asked about. And i don't recall reading "should she bring the dog back?" - she said "they said she might want to".
