630. Inguinal hernia in a Shih Tzu puppy in Hawaii

On Sat, Sep 24, 2011 at 10:31 AM, ...@gmail.com> wrote:

My friend gave us a sweet loving 4 month old Shih Tzu who had an inguinal hernia. No one wanted her so I took her and planned to get her surgery taken care of. Well, my husband lost his job and we don't have the $1,000+ Hawaii charges for the 45 min. surgery. When she stands it feels like a golf ball and the other side ain't so bad. It hasn't grown. Can I monitor it? When do I know we're in trouble? Hope you can help.
Much mahalo for your kokua.
Name of owner


E-MAIL REPLY FROM DR SING DATED SUNDAY SEP 25, 2011


I am Dr Sing from Toa Payoh Vets, www.toapayohvets.com. Thank you for your email.

Inguinal hernias in Shih Tzus or other puppies vary in size. Small-sized hernias of less than 1 cm in diameter may not cause problems to the Shih Tzu and have been left alone without any health issues. Two health issues are as follows:

1. Since your Shih Tzu's hernia is the size of a golf ball (according to your email), it is best to get it repaired as soon as possible. This is because the intestines get trapped inside the hernia and may get twisted over time.

When the intestines get twisted, the blood supply to the intestines get strangulated and so the intestines cannot receive blood supply. The intestines become gangrenous. The puppy's inguinal hernial area will be painful to the touch.

2. Some puppies keep licking the skin of the hernia till it becomes thin and rupture as they try to relieve themselves of the pain and irritation under the skin of the hernia. When the skin ruptures, the intestines and fat spill out, leading to the imminent death of the puppy unless the vet repairs the defect immediately.

I presume the puppy has no pain in the herniated area presently. Therefore you can still continue to monitor it. The hernia may get bigger with time as the puppy grows bigger. Therefore, it is best for the puppy to get such a large hernia repaired.

Explain to the vet your financial situation (discuss instalment payments) or look for another vet who may be able to help your puppy.

Pl email to me 2 pictures of the hernia (side view left side and right side standing) if possible. Best wishes.