My Maltese puppy was born with a hernia

by Brenda
(Houston, tx)

My Maltese puppy was born with a hernia, how dangerous is this to her?

I do not want her spayed, I would like to breed her.





Hi Brenda
If the hernia your pup has is simply a small opening on her belly where there is a little bulge of tissue, this is what is generally called an 'incomplete closure' and isn't a true hernia.

It's an opening in the muscle wall and the bulge is usually a little bit of fatty tissue that protrudes through the opening. The danger occurs if the bowel or intestines drop through the opening and then get trapped. This is an emergency situation and requires immediate veterinary attention. It is rare for it to happen, but of course possible.

A puppy who is born with a 'hernia' like this may actually outgrow it and the muscle wall knits together as the pup matures. If this doesn't happen it's a very simple surgery to fix it, just a couple of stitches really. It can easily be done at the same time as she is spayed, or as a separate surgery.

I know that you think you may want to breed her, but unless she is a show quality dog and you have good reason to do this, then I wouldn't recommend it. Hernias like this have a hereditary component and it's not advisable to breed any dog that has a defect of any sort as the puppies (at least some of them) will probably have the same issue and even the ones that don't have the potential to pass it on to future generations.

Spaying your pup will not only prevent this from happening, but will give her added protection from reproductive disorders when she is older.

Hope this helps, best of luck with your pup.