Umbilical cords

Question
Hi Norman,

So this question is kind of medical, but kind of breeding. I have three week old kittens and all there umbilical cord fell off yesterday or the day before. Two seem to have healthy wounds where it dropped from, but one of the kittens has a chocolate chip sized bump where his cord used to be. Its not oozing or hot, he's still eating well and not acting particularly sensitive to the area being touched.

Is this uncommon in newborn kittens? Do I need to take him to a vet? Or clean it with peroxide? Or should I let it alone and assume he has an outie belly button?

Answer
Kristy,

It sounds as if the one kitten has an umbilical hernia.  Usually, these are not serious, but you should keep an eye on it in case it starts to get bigger.  Your vet can fix these with a couple of stitches when the kitten is about 4 months of age.

You can talk it over with your vet and see what your vet recommends.  Meanwhile, as long as it does not change, I would not worry about it, and I would leave it alone. And, yes, it is not uncommon.

Best regards... Norm.