Surgical Management of Inguinal Hernia in a Dog

Introduction Hernia is an abnormal protrusion of an organ or tissue through a normal body opening. An inguinal ring defect allows the abdominal contents to enter the subcutaneous space. The potential factors involved in the development of inguinal hernias might be anatomical, hormonal and metabolic in nature. However, the exact etiopathogenesis is still unknown (Smeak, 2003). Clinical signs often range from a painless inguinal mass to signs related to incarcerated or nonviable small intestine. Inguinal hernias may be congenital or acquired, of which the former occur in dog as a result of a defect in the inguinal ring (Pratschke, 2002). The congenital inguinal hernias are rare in dogs and may co-exist with the umbilical hernias (Fossum, 2007), while acquired inguinal hernias are often seen in middle aged intact bitches (Waters et al., 1993). The usual contents of inguinal hernia may include omentum, fat, ovary, uterus, small intestine, colon, bladder and spleen, with omentum being the commonest (Bellenger, 1996). The present paper reports inguinal hernia in a German Shepherd bitch and its surgical management.