perineal hernia

[coolkel]

My Boxer was diagnosed with a perineal hernia.  I cannot afford surgery.  Is there anything I can do to help him?  Any special foods?  How quickly will it progress without surgery?  I love my boy & don't want to lose him, but I don't want him to suffer either.  Please help.  Any info is appeciated.

[skydnsr]

With all due respect, the challenge is not how to deal with this without veterinary care, but how to obtain the needed veterinary care.  I don't think there are any special foods that can help.  It is an anatomical problem.  

Has a vet at least seen it and given you an opinion?  That would be the first step.  I think how fast it will progress will depend on things like the age of the dog and how bad the hernia is right now, and a vet would be in the best position to advise you on that.  Plus, only a vet can advise you whether he needs surgery and how soon.

Give us a little more information to go on, if you will.  People here will help you problem-solve, but you need to get yourself directed down the right path, which in this case is the veterinary path.  Sometimes, things can be accomplished that you did not think were possible.

[coolkel]

My boxer is 8 yrears old.  He is currently able to defacte without any problems.  The vet did not give us any specific timeline, only that it "will get worse"  
I am not full owner of the dog and the full owner does not want surgery.

[coolkel]

Thanks anyway.  We'll do what is best for him regardless.

[skydnsr]

That's good.  Since it's been a week, and nobody else has posted any alternatives to surgery, I take it that nobody else around here, at least not the ones who read your post, can come up with any alternatives to surgery, either.  

I think that the kind of hernia surgery you are looking at it is a relatively simple surgery, as far as surgery goes.  I don't think the dog will have to be put under deep anaesthesia, the procedure is something that is done close to the surface, and it is a fairly quick operation.  I would expect a healthy dog to recover well.  Your boy might have some activity restrictions while he is recovering, to keep him from pulling the stitches loose and undoing the procedure.  

I would ask for pain meds to bring home with me, just in case.  There are still some vets don't dispense pain meds unless you ask for them.  I don't think your dog will need anything strong, but when my dogs have had surgery, I have given them Rimadyl or Metacam for the first couple of days, and then I taper it off over the next couple of days after that.  

Some older vets don't think animals feel pain, because that's what they used to be taught in vet school.  Some other vets think that if the wound hurts, the dog won't lick and worry at it (and maybe that is true in some cases).  I found that when my current dog was spayed, however, the pain was what made her want to bother the incision, and when her Rimadyl was working, she left it alone.

[coolkel]

Actually, the vet told us that it is indeed an indepth operation that "only a specialist" would attempt.  This is due in part to his size.  He weighs 103.  That was not the only reason, though.  She said that with this type of hernia, they have to go in and totally reconstruct the area in and around colon, intestines, etc.  So it is very detailed.  
As far as him bothering an incision, I would pretty much bet that he would.  I can't even get a sore that he doesn't want to "work on"  He considers himself quite the doctor!  I have a sore on my leg right now that I have to keep covered or out of his reach to get him to leave it alone.
Thanks so much for the "conversation".  Whatever we route we take, it's nice to have an understanding outsider, if you will, I can talk to.
Thanks again.
Kelley

[skydnsr]

Come back anytime.  Thanks for letting me know about the complexity of the operation.  I had no idea that it was that involved.  

In addition to pain pills, there is a topical powder that you can buy from the vet, called Neo-Predef with Tetracaine.  It comes in a puffer bottle that you squeeze over a wound, and it sprays out a little puff of powder.  The tetracaine is a topical aneasthetic, and it helps keep the dog from licking.  My vet sold it to me to use on hot spots, but maybe you could use this, or something similar, for surgical wounds.  It is a good thing to have on hand, in any case.

[pennypongo]

Hi, I have just been reading your comments about your dog having a perineal hernia, my Cavalier king charles aged 9 has one, my own vet cant do the operation as its tricky op, he referred me to a specialist hospital, and he goes on Monday for an op, which is going to cost us a lot of money as he isnt insured.....I have read up on the web site about what his operation entails,and it sounds quite tricky, we have just sold our little sporty car to pay for his op,but he is worth it, I recommend insurance to anyone with a pet, wish we had it, hope your dog is ok.
regards Christine

[coolkel]

Hi Christine
Best of luck to you on the surgery. Please keep me updated on how it goes.
I have tried & tried to talk Hooch's owner, my girlfriend, into the surgery even if it means borrowing money or whatever, but she doesn't want it.  She has had bad experience with surgeries in the past & therefore won't even consider it.
Take care, Kelley

[pennypongo]

Hi, Just an update on Pongos perineal operation,He had his op on the 14 th June... he had a hernia on both sides. The op went very well, they also castrated him too, we got him back next day complete with a collar so he couln't bite his stitches, he had painkillers and antibiotics, he has done really well,had his stitches out last week,and vet pleased with him...he struggles a bit to empty his bowel, which I hope gets better...we hope he won't have any problems later on... we have since insured our other two Cavaliers, just in case, hope your dogis ok, regards Christine

[coolkel]

Thanks, Christine, for the update on Pongo.  I have thought a lot about him since your last post.  I hope he continues to do well.  My boxer, Hooch, is doing well.  He is not having any trouble with going to the bathroom.  The only thing is that with the hernia protruding, he has to be wiped when he finishes.  It is not a problem & he understands it needs to be done.  He comes straight to you when he comes in & turns his rear to you.  He is such a smart boy.
Good luck and take care.
Kelley

[lindapalm]

I'm glad to hear your dog is doing so well, I'm sure he is in much less pain because of the surgery.  I think your a great owner for selling a car to come up with the money, your dog must really mean the world to you.  He is a very lucky dog.

[pennypongo]

Hi, Thanks for your comments,I have posted our dogs photo on my profile, Pongo is the black and white dog who had the op.... he continues to do well... we have since insured our other two,just in case...what dogs do you have, regards Christine

[pennypongo]

Hi, glad to hear Hooch is doing ok, my daughter has a boxer, I have heard they are prone to get perineal hernias, so told my daughter to keep an eye on hers... II laughed at your dog coming to get his bottom wiped, take care Christine

[carolmc]

Our 8 year old lab has just been diagnosed with a perineal Hernia.  In the spring, he got into some deer bones which sharred in his intestines and had to be removed twice.  I don't know if this caused the hernia but the vet did say his prostate was enlarged and he should be castrated. Now 4  months later the hernia has appeared.  The vet is recommending surgery and castration.  We are worried that due to his age, recovery will be complicated.  Any thoughts?

[cel7272k]

to everybody whose dogs got perineal hernia, my dog peso has perineal hernia, double perineal hernia, he had undergone six surgeries because perineal hernia is a recurring type, muscles may give in anytime.

I would like to be of help to all of you.... even with a soft stool, dogs with perineal hernia operated or not may have difficulty putting his poop out becasue the muscles had been damaged, so I suggest that when he is pooping, help him bring out his poop by gently pressing the muscles that had been repaired. after six surgeries, we never returned to his vet for the same reason, though he still has hernia, if worst comes to worst, our last resort is this silicon mesh transplant..

If your dog has perineal hernia, dont hesitate to bring him to surgery, well at least find a vet who specializes on this. Dogs easily recovers from this ailment just monitor him closely....

please visit me here and ask questions, I symphatize with dog owners whose dogs have the same ailment as peso.... with proper care they will recover faster...

http://hubpages.com/hub/Perineal-Hernia-in-Dogs

[lachappy]

I have an 11 year old mixed breed. He was diagnosed with perineal hernia in the summer of 2010. The vet suggested we feed him pumpkin pie filling with his food. He said it would work for a while. We did that and it worked very well until now. I will take him to the vet tomorrow to see how he is doing. I don't think he is doing well.

[lindapalm]

Good luck at the vet tomorrow, let us know how you made out.  What was the pumpkin pie filling supposed to do to help?

[deadgamegrrl]

Canned pumpkin is often recommended as a natural stool softener.  My Pumpkin (capital P) got pumpkin (little p) when she started having anal gland impactions that we thought we due to her severe arthritis, since it was only ever one anal gland on the same side. The theory was it would make it easier for her to poop and clear the gland out fully.
lachappy - good luck at the vet.  I hope your old boy will be ok!

[shadowsmom03]

Be careful with the pumpkin. My dog Shadow just had his surgery for his perineal hernia about a month ago and is doing so well. I was told that pumpkin was ok but he started to have a slight problem pooping so I cut it out and he is fine again. Pumpkin at time can make them gassy and can bind them up. I give him sweet potatoes and rice mixed in with his dry dog food and it keeps him soft so he can poop a lot better now.

[deadgamegrrl]

Thans for the warning.  We don't use it much anymore.  My problem now is not the act of pooping, its that she always steps in it :-).

[Amber98]

I know this is old, but my 9 year old beagle was diagnosed yesterday with a pernial hernia, making it difficult for him to deficate. He also is being treated for re-accuring anal gland abcess and enlarged prostate. I believe this is all due to the fact that he's not nutured. But my vet said the hernia could be a side effect of the constant anal gland problems.

My vet is the opposite, he doesn't recommend surgury. Instead he thinks the tissue will break and disolve itself, as long as we keep his stool soft.

Now I'm confused. I read on this site that anal glands dont express themselves when poop is too soft. That's why i switched my dog from science diet to wellness core. It has lots of protein, his poop is firmer now and he seems healthier. But now I'm worried it'll make the hernia worse. The vet said, keep him on the food that leaves his poop soft.

What should I do???

I want to just do the surjury and get him nutured at the same time, i dont know why my vet wants to avoid it.

[susiq49]

Yes, pumpkin is very good for your dogs digestion as it is high in fiber.  I have a 14 1/2 year old ****-tzu boy named Binger.  Three years ago he was diagnosed with a heart condition and not expected to live 6 months.  I started making my own dog food at my vets suggestion and from what I read on the internet.  He is also on heart medication daily.  His heart condition now is normal.  Unfortunately 2 1/2 years ago he developed a perineal hernia.  He has had two surgeries.  The hernia has unfortunately reoccurred. Unfortunately the vets are unsure of another operation because of his age.  The food that I make for all my dogs now consists of ground meat, lots of finely shredded carrots, pumpkin, egg whites, organic rice and I add Metamucil for additional fiber.  This diet has helped save my dogs life.  I am still considering a third surgery and perhaps just pray for the best.  Most days Binger gobbles up his food and still plays like a puppy.

[CatCee]

why are you reluctant to type shih-tzu?

[CatCee]

why are you afraid to type shih-tzu?

[CatCee]

Sorry about the double post

[dingodaisymom]

I understand...my Chi-weenie needs this surgery but it's 4000.00 plus dollars... I am staying with a friend as I had lost my job and apartment and then this... I would love to have him the surgery but he is a bit grumpy (always has been) and I feel to have "major" surgery such as this with an 85% sucess rate and then not be able to care for him properly isn't any better...it breaks my heart..I love him so much and I fight with myself watching him has his hind end swell...after he goes tee tee..it goes right down...much love and luck to you and your baby... i understand putting them first..i've also sold a car a long time ago for my first baby, Honey. Please pray for my lil man Dingo...