Do dogs have belly buttons?
The straightforward answer is yes,dogs have belly buttons.
Well, dogs are characteristically mammals and mammals, with a few exceptions, possess belly buttons. The availability of belly buttons in mammals is necessary because how else would the fetus (puppy) feed while in the womb? Each puppy is born in an amniotic fluid-filled sac and prior to conception, the fetus is connected to the mother’s placenta with an umbilical cord. If you’re quite familiar with how human conception works, this would be easy to comprehend. The umbilical cord that connects mother to child is how nutrients, oxygen and blood are transported to the fetus from the mother and also an avenue to rid the fetus of waste products during pregnancy. After birth, the cord which has no nerve endings, is instinctively chewed in half by the mother and each pup comes out of their placental sac.
Do The Puppies Bleed When The Mother Chews On The Cord?
Similar to humans, a blood vessel flows through the umbilical cord, so some bleeding may occur. The umbilical cord must be handled carefully so as to avoid the risk of infection. The base of the cord needs to be tied off and sterilized hence stopping the bleeding. However, intervening with a puppy’s birth should be left at a minimum as too much human involvement can upset the mother that’s why they instinctively do most things to keep their newborn safe and well like the mother is always seen licking the puppy dry.
Is There A Wrong Way To Clamp The Umbilical Cord?
Most times, pet owners are unaware that their pets are pregnant hence when the delivery happens, it comes as a surprise. It’s okay to not have the right equipment hence if clamps are not available at the moment, you could tie off the umbilical cord using a clean thread. There are no wrong ways to tie a puppy’s umbilical cord but you must carefully ensure that you’re not tugging on the cord or too close to the puppy’s abdomen. One or one point five inches will work perfectly. In cases where the mother hasn’t chewed off the cord, sterilized scissors work well to tear the cord which mimics what your dog would have done with her teeth. A medical clamp works well also. Whichever your preference, all procedures must be done gently until the umbilical cord is severed. After which you dip the end of the cord in alcohol.
Does It Hurt When I Cut My Puppy’s Umbilical Cord Off?
The absence of nerve endings in the umbilical cord eliminates all possibilities of pain. So neither the puppy nor the mother feels any pain. In cases where the mother might chew the cord too close to the puppy’s skin, resulting in a bruise or wound, a vet should be consulted immediately to rectify the situation appropriately.
Why Can’t I Find My Dog’s Belly Button?
After the umbilical cord is cut, the leftover residue falls off of the puppy’s body naturally after a few days. In the following weeks, the skin in this area would have healed almost erasing the possibility of a scar and if indeed there is, it is minimal hence making it difficult to see. An awful lot of us spend time giving it doggies belly rubs (because they love it), and still aren’t sure if they have belly buttons or not because unlike humans, innies and outies are not particularly trademark belly button types with dogs so it might get a little confusing.
For dogs, a belly button is a scar left after the umbilical cord is broken. The difference with how the cord is formed with humans and dogs lies solely on how the cord is cut. Where and how the cord is cut determines the type of scar that will be formed. For dogs, theirs is close to non-existent and you have a really furry dog, you’re really going to be searching for a long time. But this doesn’t mean that dogs do not have belly buttons. Also, a dog’s umbilical cord is less volumetric than a human’s and this results in less scarring which heals very quickly.
You can find the scar slightly below the rib cage on the dog’s abdomen and that’s only if you can get your dog to be patient enough to lie still for the ultimate search. It’s going to be really tricky and very tasking but there’s a 75% chance that a scar will be found.
Hernias? What Are Those?
Rare cases where the puppy suddenly develops an “outie” can be assumed to be hernia. Hernias can be formed and mistaken for belly buttons but it is very unlikely for a dog to have a belly button that is protruded hence urgent veterinary attention is required.
Hernias in dogs are weaknesses in the abdominal muscles that allow internal organs such as the intestines to pass through to other parts of the body, which results in the protrusion and large mass in their abdomen or groin.
Hernias in dogs are relatively common. Puppies are commonly born with them. Over 90% of hernias in dogs are genetically induced.
In cases where it comes with symptoms such as vomiting, high fever, leg numbness, shortness of breath and lethargy, it is advisable to take the dog to a veterinarian immediately. An abdominal ultrasound might be required to avoid complications and know how treatment should go about.
Hernia is treatable and it is important that a dog with hernia receives medical treatment as soon as possible. Puppies do not outgrow hernia and they do not heal without the required medical attention. It is advisable that once hernia is suspected, the dog should be treated immediately because it can cause a great amount of pain for the dog and can lead to medical complications.
Now that I’ve cleared that up, if the question about whether or whether not your dog has a belly button has been keeping you up at night, you can sleep now because they do. All placental mammals do. Technically, all mammals that give birth to live babies as opposed to kangaroos and her cousins.
Also, for good reasons, even though your dog is a bad bitch, please do not pierce her belly button.
Also read How to become a Vet Tech
