# Hernia Surgery.



## MelanieandPearl (Apr 7, 2009)

Hi Everyone!

I'm new here. I hope everyone is doing well!

I have a beautiful 2 and a half year old chihuahua who is my best friend in the world. She's had an inguinal hernia for over a year now. I was first told to watch it, and then recently, I was reading how serious they can become, so I went back to a vet who told me I should have it fixed as soon as possible.

The problem is I am TERRIFIED...i know that there are risks with any procedure, and i know there are no guarentees, but i'm just wondering what to expect. Has anyone heard of any other chihuahuas having this surgery and being ok afterwards? I'd even like to hear of others who have had chihuahuas go under anethesia for any reason and how they were waking up and recovering. 

It just seems so scary to me, because this is a dog who shakes if someone talks too loud. it seems like the whole ordeal would put her into shock and just be too much for her to handle. Are they tougher than i think or am I right to be afraid? 

Any information anyone has would be GREATLY appreciated more than you know. I'm a nervous wreck. 

Melanie


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## Bethany (Mar 16, 2009)

I dont know of anyone with a Chihuahua who has/had a hernia. But my friend has a mini-dachshund that was born with a hernia. They were planning on getting it taken care of when she gets spayed so that shes only under anesthesia once. Why don't you give your vet a call one day, and just talk to him/her about your concerns?. Personally I would get the hernia removed as soon as possible if it is potentially harmful to your baby.


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## crazy dog mom (Feb 26, 2009)

Hi Melanie,

I don't have your answers but I just want to say that I'm wishing the best for you and your chi. The people on this site are really knowledgeable and I'm sure someone will help ease your fears with some answers to your questions very soon. I had a collie with a hernia once and she pulled through the surgery just fine, but I know collies are a lot different from chihuahuas, so the specifics about how she reacted, etc. really don't apply here. 

I'm really glad you asked those questions, and I will be very interested in the answers about anesthesia, as my chi has yet to be spayed and I'm terrified too! Hang in there!


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## iheartchanel (Mar 22, 2009)

Well, my little girl was spayed in early December and she was just fine. She wasn't quite herself for a few days (ate less, slept a lot more and just seemed completely off) but she came back just fine. She did have problems with the pain medication they gave her though. She seemed to completely lose bladder control. She peed on my bed in her sleep a few times and a few other random places. It also made her seem depressed.
Is there a certain reason you're so scared? Is she very small or is it because she's just never had surgery before?
I don't have any experience with the really tiny ones. Chanel is a little over 5lbs.


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## Harley's Mom (Feb 5, 2009)

Hi Melanie,

First things first...Welcome to the forum and I hope you enjoy your time here.

Now, to the important matter at hand. Hernia repairs are quite common. I don't know how much you know about what a hernia is but the simple answer is that it is a weakening in the muscle wall that allows the abdominal contents to push through the weakening. The main concern/risk with an inguinal hernia is that a loop of the intestine can push trough this weakening and become stuck. That loop then has difficulty getting blood to it and can "die". This can lead to an infection that can spread. It would be like someone wrapping an elastic band around their finger - the elastic although stretchy can still slow down the flow of blood to and from the finger.

Sorry for the gorey details. The easiest way to fix the weakening is to have it surgically repaired which I assume is what your vet would like to do. There are two ways they can fix this: one way is to sew in a piece of gore-tex mesh into the weakened part of the muscle, this strengthens the muscle and prevents any further risk of the "bulging". The other method is to sew the muscle together at the weakened part to tighten the muscle again - no more bulging.

As far as general anaesthetics go, there is always risks associated with going under anaesthetic but most do just fine. Harley recently had his neuter and was anaesthetized for that and did just great. He was a little woozy that night but recovered quite quickly. They usually use a combination of isoflurane gas and some type of sedation to keep them comfy. Isoflurane is very quickly excreted by the body by regular breathing and the sedation is usually excreted by either the liver of kidneys depending on what they use. Either way Pearl should do just fine.

We are always terrified when our furbabies have to undergo any type of medical procedure but as long as you have faith and confidence in the team doing the procedure - all will work out just fine. Chi's may be small but they are a hearty lot!


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## MelanieandPearl (Apr 7, 2009)

Thank you all so much for responding. She's really not "that" small compared to some. She actually weighs 7 lbs. I guess my main concern is just that she's never even been out of my sight, and i'm worried about her going into some kind of emotional shock and just not handling it well. That, and the fact that i've had her to four vets, and none of them have even done many (if any) of these surgeries. I live in a rural area away from a lot of the bigger cities and better pet hospitals. I just can't even imagine how i'm gonig to drop her off knowing what's about to happen. I know they say they monitor them closely, but my sister has worked as a vet tech and has told me what goes on behind the scenes so to speak, so i'm just so nervous that something will happen to her and they won't even be paying attention.

i am going to need a nerve pill to get through this, seriously. 


Thank you all so much for responding to me. Hugs from me and Pearl.


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## hazeyj (Nov 12, 2008)

Hi there, Misty has been speyed today, had her tears ducts flushed, a baby tooth removed and a hernia fixed.......

Shes home now and is very quiet and just lying down in her bed, she just wants to be on her own poor baby. 

Misty is usually very submissive little girl and weighs 3 pounds but shes come through this fine and hasnt moaned at all.

We didnt get any pain relief to take home with us, maybe thats a US thing?

xxxxxxxxxxx


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