Inguinal Hernia in Canines

An inguinal hernia is a protrusion of an organ or tissue through a closed area in the groin where the stomach muscles meet the back legs. The condition is more common in female dogs. Dog breeds susceptible to this condition include the West Highland white terrier, poodle, basset hound, Pekingese and Pomeranian.

  1. Symptoms

    • An inguinal hernia in dogs appears as a skin-covered bulge in the groin area. If the bulge cannot be pushed back into the abdomen, it is called an incarcerated hernia. The bulge becomes swollen and painful, since the blood supply is strangulated. Without treatment, the affected area develops an abscess accompanied by severe pain, fever, anorexia and dehydration, since the dog refuses to eat or drink. An inguinal hernia that is pushed back into the abdomen is known as a reducible hernia, which has no symptoms.

    Causes

    • An inguinal hernia in dogs may be congenital or may appear due to the stretching of the abdominal muscles during pregnancy.

    Diagnosis

    • A veterinarian performs a physical exam to determine if an inguinal hernia exists, and if it is reducible or incarcerated. Besides a physical exam, the veterinarian orders an abdominal ultrasound and contrast radiography to visualize the organ's placement and determine the size of the hernia.

    Treatment

    • Treatment of the inguinal hernia involves surgical repair regardless of whether the hernia is reducible or incarcerated. The emergency surgery involves manually reducing the contents of the hernia into the abdomen followed by surgically closing the hernia sac and abdomen with sutures.