Anybody's dog ever had a hernia?  I was just rubbing Archer's belly and at the junction of his inner hind leg and his abdomen, there is a 3" long, narrow, soft, moveable...something.  Feels like it could possibly a loop of intestine.  This is while he is stretched out on his back in the "belly rub, please" position.  Curled up in a husky curl, I can still feel it but the shape becomes more circular and the...whatever is less distinct.  Wayne's gone so I can't have him examine.  And doesn't appear to be emergency.  And after the last vet visit with Archer, I'm not inclined to go unless it's life threatening.

Archer seems fine...though both boys are conked right now.

Amy, Miya did have bilateral hernia's as a puppy, they fixed it when she had her spay. Now I do not put much faith in those vets, but they said it comes from eating non food items that do not create a blockage?????? So yes she had it, didn't really feel it. My breeder of Sofie, her sister was born with a hernia, that was some genetic thing, so again don't know much about it. Would I say it's an emergency, no, would I say let your hubby check it out and have him determine if it's an emergency, yes! Hope it's nothing Amy!

Hubby called - discussed the mass and he says sounds like a hernia, that as long as Archer is eating, peeing, pooping and not uncomfortable, is not emergency BUT they can become trapped, shutting off the blood supply with dying tissue which IS an emergency, He asked if I could reduce it - I said, say what?!!? But, I think I did 'cause I can't find it anymore. Also commented on "bearing down making it protrude more" but not knowing how to get a dog to bear down on command

And, from my reading, I think your vets are off the wall - vast majority of these are congenital and those lines that have them should not be bred. And now the critter is barking his full head off...wonder where that cow went...

My dad's dog has had a hernia for the better part of two years. She's 14 so they never had anything done with it, but it's probably the size of a soft ball in about the same spot you are describing archer's. She isn't bothered by it at all. At the size it is at it is very unsightly but it doesn't seem to affect her movements.

I know that there are 2 types of hernia's, and yes I do agree they should not be bred if it's genetic, there is debate if the parents should be bred as well, so I don't know on that, and my breeder is not breeding this year, so it remains to be seen if he decides not to have the dam produce any more puppies. Archer's would appear not to be the genetic type, since the genetic hernia's are seen at or shortly after birth, and this is the first time you noticed it on Archer. They are no longer my vet, unless they need a vaccine, so yea, don't put much faith in their expertise. Hope Archer is fine, and yes have read that complications can arise.

The weakness in the abdominal wall is what I think is hereditary - and since I can't feel it anymore, the weakness could have been there all along. Like Wayne, I have no idea how to communicate to Archer "bear down" Possibly the vet could, on palpation, find the weakness/hole/separation in the muscle wall but I'm not experienced enough to find it. But, it having disappeared, I think sort of clinches the hernia theory.

Problem is, when Archer went in with the foreign body in the eye, he was traumatized, had to be muzzled and even then, he is so strong that the vet (little lady) vet tech (slightly bigger lady) and I ( much bigger but arthritic lady) could not contain him. He hasn't been back since. I'll wait until Josh is back unless Archer appears in distress - hopefully since its not the eye but just rubbing his belly, things will go ok. Josh says he used to love the vet and the vet loved him...I think she's a bit more wary now.