Should I be worried about a hernia on my puppy's tummy?

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The problem with hernias is that they are a weak point in the body wall, where abdominal contents can poke through and come to lie under the skin.

Although, in many cases, hernias have too small an opening in the body wall for bowel or organs to come through, they can enlarge and risk bowel blockage or gut or organ damage. Monitor your pup's hernia and have a feel of it several times a day.

If you can feel a swelling there, try to put a little pressure on it with a finger so that the fluid or tissue in the hernia pops back into the abdominal cavity. Sometimes, this can lead to the hernia stabilising as the pup grows and possibly not needing further treatment.

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However any hernias that do not stabilise, or that enlarge, are likely to need surgical treatment to stitch up the deficit in the body wall under the skin.