Pushing The Wrong Button
Puppies do not normally have “outie” belly buttons that stick out, but if you do happen to notice one that sticks out, you’re likely dealing with an umbilical hernia, explain Caroline Coile and Margaret H. Bonham in the book “Why do Dogs Like Balls.”;
This usually happens when some fat or a portion of the intestine protrudes;through the abdominal wall. Typically, the soft bulge;can be pushed;back into the abdomen, but as soon as the pressure is removed, the bulge backs;out again.
Umbilical hernias in puppies can become problematic when a loop of the;intestines become trapped, explains veterinarian Debra Primovic;in an article on Pet Place.
This becomes an emergency situation where surgery is immediately needed. If the hernia isn’t causing complications and is small, it may spontaneously regress or the hernia may be repaired at the time the pup is spayed or neutered.;
If your puppy has an umbilical hernia or an abnormal bulge, consult with your vet for recommendations.
Did you know? According to;Daniel McGee, M.D., a pediatrician at DeVos Children’s Hospital in Grand Rapids, contrary to popular belief, in humans “outies” have nothing;to do with how the umbilical cord was clamped, but are rather a matter of extra scar tissue.
What Should I Do About My Dogs Umbilical Hernia
Firstly, it is likely to be sensible to refrain from breeding with your animal in case any genetic issues have contributed to the hernia.
Secondly, if small and not spontaneously healed and closed by the time of neutering, the hernia can be surgically repaired at the same time. A relatively straightforward piece of surgery, the fibrous scar tissue surrounding the hernia hole is dissected away and then sutures placed, to close and seal the defect. Success rates are high, and complications are rare.
A larger hernia however may require more rapid surgical intervention in a pups life, to prevent complications.
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Why Do Dogs Have Belly Buttons
Last updated on By Puppy Leaks
Before writing this article I have to admit Id never give much though to my dogs belly button, let alone tried looking for it. I knew she had one, but Id never noticed it or given it a second thought.
And then I got an e-mail from a reader asking me about belly buttons it and it got my mind wandering. Why do dogs have belly buttons anyways?
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Why Do Dogs Not Have Belly Buttons
Dogs do have belly buttons! They are just hard to find. All mammals have a belly button. Belly buttons are scar tissue caused by the umbilical cord. The umbilical cord delivered blood and nutrients to the puppy when it was in its mothers womb. The dogs belly button is small and flat, and covered in fur. It is there it is just hard to find.
Why Does My Cat Have A Belly Button
Again, this is simple science. A cat is a placental mammal . It is also viviparous, meaning the fertilized egg develops inside the body and offspring are born live. The placenta is attached to the mothers uterine wall, and the umbilical cord attaches to the mother and the fetus. This cord helps to move fetal waste and carbon dioxide away from the developing fetus while helping to supply it with the mothers blood which contains nutrients, water and oxygen.
Each kitten fetus will have its own placenta and umbilical cord. A litter of four kittens, therefore, will have four placentas .
Once the kitten is born, the mothers uterus expels the placenta. The kitten is still attached to that placenta via the umbilical cord. After the kitten has taken its first breath, the mother cat will sever the umbilical cord with her teeth, or lick the umbilical cord until it detaches from the placenta. The mother cat then eats the placenta. The umbilical stump will remain attached to the kitten. It will dry out and shrivel up, and within about three days, fall off. The small scar where the cord was will become the cats belly button.
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How Big Is A Hernia Likely To Be Does This Affect Its Significance
The size of an umbilical hernia can vary however the majority are small and <1cm.;
As perhaps expected, a large hernia has the potential to cause more concern, given the potential exists for herniation of more abdominal content. If a portion of the small intestine comes through the hole, it will likely strangulate and compress/inhibit its own blood supply, causing sudden and severe consequences.
Hiatal Hernia In Dogs
Hiatal hernia refers to the protrusion of the abdominal contents into the chest cavity through the esophageal hiatus of the diaphragm and in most veterinary patients, appears to be a congenital. Diagnosis is based on medical history, clinical signs, and radiographs. Conservative medical treatment will usually be recommended for those with mild signs while surgery is often needed for those with severe cases.
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Why Dont Cats Have Belly Buttons
Have you ever wondered why your cat doesnt have an innie or an outie belly button like you do? The answer is surprisingly simple, and cats are actually quite similar to humans in the way they grow and birth their babies.
To understand why cats dont have the same type of belly button as a human, we need to understand how a belly button is created and why a belly button is there in the first place.;
All cats technically have a belly button that is created the same way a human belly button is through the umbilical cord. Unlike a human, a cats belly button will not become an innie or an outie because of the way the umbilical cord dries and falls off the body.
A cats belly button is located halfway down their belly, measuring about 5mm in diameter, and it looks like a scar. The belly button is not easily seen because of the fur that covers the cats skin.;
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Facts About Belly Buttons And Reproduction In Cats
Here are some more interesting facts about cats, reproduction, and belly buttons:
- Female cats can reach sexual maturity and get pregnant at just four months of age.
- Cats are seasonal breeders, only entering their reproductive cycle at certain times during the year .
- Litters of kittens are usually born between April and September.
- Female cats signal to males that they are ready to mate by becoming noisy and more active, rubbing on things/people and rolling.
- Female cats can be mated by more than one male cat in a short period of time.
- Female cats can be mated by relatives, including their father and brother.
- Mating between cats doesnt take long.
- Female cats dont benefit from having a litter of kittens; some never have them .
- The gestation period for cats is 58 to 67 days.
- Cats can be safely neutered or spayed as young as eight weeks old, per the ASPCA.
- When your cat exposes her belly to you, that doesnt necessarily mean she wants you to pet it. She might just be relaxing or trying to cool herself.
- Some cats have curly fur on their bellies, hiding that belly button even further.
- A cats soft belly helps to protect its vital organs during a fight with another animal.
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What Does A Dogs Belly Button Look Like
A dogs belly button is neither in nor out. It is an often straight line or ring scar, small in size, located just south of the ribs on the dogs abdomen.
Tips for finding a dogs belly button
- Gently press where you think it is, as the scar tissue is typically a little rougher and will feel different to the skin on either side
- Look for swirling of the hair around the area where the scar is
- It is always closer to the dogs stomach than the ribs. If you are on the ribs, you are in the incorrect place.
- There is a chance the fur will be a little darker in the area where the belly button scar will be
Nearly All Mammals Have Belly Buttons
The majority of mammals have belly buttons, including dogs, cats, dolphins, and humans but there are a few exceptions.
Marsupials and platypus are the only mammals that dont have belly buttons. A marsupials umbilical cord falls off in their mothers pouch, so the scar never forms. And since platypus lays eggs theres no umbilical cord to begin with.
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Ive Heard Of Umbilical Hernias What Exactly Are They
Umbilical hernias are usually easily recognised as a bump or swelling on the lower underbelly of your pup, in the region of the umbilicus . Whilst variably sized , they are soft and may also actually fluctuate in size.;
A hernia usually develops when the muscles of the abdominal wall do not heal properly. Rather than the muscles fusing together adequately, a variably sized hole remains which acts as a potential gap through which tissues such as fat or intestines may poke through.
A key characteristic is whether a hernia is reducible or not. With a reducible hernia, the bulk of the swelling can be pushed back into the abdomen. A non-reducible hernia, however, indicates that there is a partial obstruction of the hibernating structures, into the opening; so that the hernia remains the same size. The contents of the hernia cannot, therefore, be returned into the abdominal cavity.;
If an umbilical hernia is noted, the advice would be to see your vet so that any potential complications associated with the hernia, can be promptly addressed.
How Is An Umbilical Hernia Treated
If the hernia has not closed by the time of spaying or neutering, surgical repair of the hernia is recommended. The surgery can be performed at the time of spaying and neutering. The fibrous or scar tissues that have formed around the hernia are dissected out or removed, and the defect is closed with sutures.
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Can You See Your Dogs Belly Button
Im happy to say I finally found Laikas belly button, though it did take a lot of belly rubs and coaxing. Its just a tiny, flat hairless scar that normally goes unnoticed.
Have you seen your dogs belly button? Is it really small? Do you want to find it without raising suspicion? Try some good old fashioned belly rubs.
How Is A Belly Button Made
When the umbilical cord is cut, the small scar it leaves changes depending on how the body heals around the scar. For mammals like cats and dogs, the cord is simply cut and allowed to fall off in the first one to five days.
Once the cord falls off, it leaves a small slit-like scar on the animal that will produce a cowlick in the fur once the fur starts growing around it. It is possible to find your cats belly button, although difficult due to the hair and size.
The belly button can also be confused with a spay scar, which is in a similar area on the abdomen of your cat. The spay scar sometimes looks so similar to a belly button that some vets have started tattooing some cats to ensure that other vets can easily tell if they are spayed later in life. This has become especially important in stray cats and cats from adoption agencies.;
In humans, the cord is usually clipped off by the doctor or attending. That cut, however, has no say in whether the belly button becomes an innie or an outie, and the way the scar heals is dependent on the babys body. Scientists have been unable to attribute the belly buttons growth to genetics or procedural decisions.;
For an animal, if you see an outie belly button, it often means the animal has a small hernia because the abdominal wall did not close properly, and a small part of the animals insides are protruding. Most of these issues are an easy fix through a small surgical procedure.
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Do Other Animals Have Belly Buttons
When petting your dog’s belly, you might notice they lack a navel similar to your own. While mammals do have belly buttons, they’re a little harder to find.
Since mammals are gestated inside their mothers, they are all born with umbilical cords. When they emerge, the mother chews off the cord with her teeth, leaving a flat scar that is less noticeable than a human’s navel. Often these are harder to see and obscured by hair. As a result, your pets might not have the most obvious belly buttons. Chimpanzees and gorillas have ones similar to a human in shape, but they do not go in or out.
Of course, there are always exceptions: platypuses and marsupials do not have belly buttons. Platypuses lay eggs, so there is no umbilical cord. Marsupials’ umbilical cords usually fall off while in their mother’s pouch, and a scar never forms.
Causes Of Dog Herniated Belly Button
The causes may differ from dog to dog, though some of the causes are found to be related and common. They include the following:
- Inherited herniated belly buttons
- Trauma or injury on the abdomen can cause a swollen or popped out navel in dogs and cats
- Some breeds are reported to be at risk of getting herniated umbilical cords. These include Pekingese, Airedales, and Basenji.
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Mammals Are Similar In Many Ways
Now that we’ve answered the question on dogs’ belly buttons,;it’s time to look at how they get those in the first place. Your dogs;belly button, also known as the;umbilicus, is the spot where the blood vessels from the placenta are attached to the pup before they are born. These blood vessels provide the essential nutrition that the puppy needs, allow for the flow of oxygen, and aid in waste product removal.
In most cases, the umbilical cord is still attached to the puppy when they are born, but after a successful whelping by the mother, it is removed and she will usually eat it.;The scar that is left behind after the umbilical cord is detached, and it’s much less noticeable on most animals than it is on a human.;
Why we usually don’t see belly buttons on dogs? The reason is because on dogs it is a flat scar, and is quickly covered over with fur as soon as the puppy is born, ;thus it can be tricky to spot.
Humans definitely have the most noticeable belly buttons of any mammal. and monotremes are the only mammals that have no need of a true umbilical cord, and thus do not have a belly button of any kind. Most other placental mammals are like dogs and cats, in that their navel scar will fade with time.
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Herniated Belly Buttons In Pugs
Your Pugs belly button should not be extremely noticeable and if they have an outie its NOT normal for dogs. An outie belly button on dogs is known as an umbilical hernia. This is usually due to genetic dispositions and is most commonly found in the following breeds; Basenji, Airedale Terrier, and Pekinese.
This condition occurs when the tissues around the umbilical cord didnt close properly, leaving an opening for intestines, abdominal fat, or abdominal lining to poke through the navel.
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This Is The Spot You Need To Be Looking At
Honestly it was a bit of a mission to attempt to find Max the Labradoodles belly button. I am 80% sure we did find the belly button scar. It is just really tricky given the amount of hair dogs have. And this was on a day that we did a DIY at-home Labradoodle coat trim!
Here is another diagram showing you the spot where you need to look. Can you see the belly button on these dogs?
What Do Dog Belly Buttons Look Like
Depending on the dog, their belly button can look a lot different to even their siblings. One common appearance of a dogs belly button is a wrinkly, circular bit of flesh. At first glance, this might not even catch your attention. Or, if it does, you might not know what it is. It can also resemble a small, flat scar, which will be invisible on dogs with lots of fur. For those that do have fur, though, sometimes it can create a spiral where the scarring is beneath.
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Why Cant We See A Dogs Belly Button
There are several theories as to why the belly button is not as prominent as it is in humans, one being that we tie the umbilical cord off rather than chew it apart, she said. While our belly buttons remain visible reminders of our arrival in the world, in animals, the little scar remnant that is the belly button is covered by fur as the it grows.
If you do see an outie in a puppy, it is considered a hernia even, if it is small and there are no internal organs trapped inside , Casal said.
Kathy Blumenstock is owned by cats, loved by dogs, writes about both, and still longs for a horse.
Dog Licking Belly Button
Why is my dog licking its;belly button? Well, if your belly button smells, your dog is going to like sniffing and licking it all the time. Some people say that dogs like licking areas or spots that they cannot see. Since a belly button is likely sunken, your dog is just curious that is why it is licking it.
If you sweat a lot, it could be the reason why the dog licks your belly button almost all the time. It is the odor that is attracting it to the button. Someone on Yahoo answers said that the dog probably just likes the taste of your navel, but you should be careful because it could put a lot of bacteria in the navel. Clean it up.
Now, hopefully, you can now answer the question do dogs have belly buttons, and probably be able to know and identify if your dog is infected, has a herniated navel and what to do about it.
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