Umbilical Hernia - Page 1

Is this condition genetic or an accident? I have a real nice female (puppy) that I was planning to add to my breeding program eventually but she has a umbilical hernia. My vet says it's easy to fix but I don't want to waste my time training/titling a female that would pass this on if it is genetic. Thanks for your input. Arrakis

You also have to bear in mind that there are two types of hernia. One (benign) where the umbilical ring closes around a little bit of fat (this type never enlarges) and the second, where the umbilical ring never quite closes and what you feel protruding is a little bit of intestine. I think it's nature AND nurture. An over-attentive bitch can cause a problem if the potential for the problem was there. JanisN