puppy with swollen mammary glands

Question
I have a 5 and 1/2 week old female jack russell terrier pup.  She seems to always have had a bit of swelling in her lower abdomen.  Today I noticed that the area under her two bottom mammary glands are more swollen and I can feel fluid in the bumps.  She doesn't seem to be in pain, is eating, playing and urinating.  Is this normal?  She and her two brothers also have small lumps in the navel.  Again no pain and I can push the lumps back in.  Some people tell me the lumps will go away as they get bigger.  I have a vet appt. coming up but I'm getting worried.  Thanks for your help.

Answer
Hi Kathy,

It's possible your dog has an umbilical hernia, but I'm not a doctor, and I can't see your puppy.

Generally, a hernia occurs when part of an organ abnormally protrudes through a defect in the tissue that envelops it. An umbilical hernia is a protrusion of a portion of the intestines through a defect in the abdominal wall in the umbilical (navel) area. Usually the herniating intestine pushes into a segment of peritoneum (the internal lining of the abdominal wall), thus forming an investing peritoneal sac around most of the hernia. If an umbilical hernia becomes larger than the abdominal defect, a section of the involved intestine may become entrapped; when this occurs, blood circulation may be cut off and part of the intestine will die. In this event, the hernia is said to be strangulating; this can be a life-threatening situation.

While many other types of abdominal hernias are secondary to trauma, umbilical hernias are usually congenital, secondary to flawed embryonic development. Veterinarians believe that most umbilical hernias are inherited. Veterinarians find that most umbilical hernias are easy to diagnose on physical examination with deep palpation of the area.

You should have the puppy examined by your vet to get a real diagnosis, and the treatment she needs.

Best of luck,
Patti