Photo by Willee Cole
A hernia is the protrusion of an organ from where it belongs in the body cavity to where it does not normally reside. This can occur in the chest or abdomen. Sometimes, a pet is born with what is called a congenital hernia; many times, they’re a result of trauma.
In some hernias, especially if they have been present for a long period of time, like a congenital hernia, or if they are mild, treatment is not needed because symptoms are mild or nonexistent.
Some hernias, like an umbilical hernia, only involve abdominal fat. These are minor and appear as a small bump under the skin. Most of these are in young animals and are easily corrected in females when they’re spayed.
Traumatic hernias usually come from a pet falling, being struck, or more commonly, being hit by a car. This tends to be significant and can be life threatening. Surgery is needed in most cases.
A common traumatic hernia results from abdominal organs being pushed through the diaphragm to the chest. This is called a diaphragmatic hernia, and it’s not surprisingly very serious. The common organs that move from the abdomen into the chest are the liver, stomach, and intestines. The lungs cannot expand, and serious consequences result.
This first radiograph labels the important organs in a normal cat. The arrow points to the diaphragm. Photos courtesy of LBAH.
This cat has a diaphragmatic hernia. Notice how you cannot readily see the diaphragm, and how the heart is elevated and the lungs compressed due to the liver being in the chest.
The next-common traumatic hernia is called an abdominal hernia. This occurs when an abdominal organ pushes through the muscle layer of the abdomen to reside under the skin. Corrective surgery is required depending on the organ, how big of a whole is present in the abdominal muscles, and whether the organ stays or moves in and out of the hernia.
Our website has a very detailed page on hernias, with pictures of how we diagnose it with a radiograph and a surgical correction of an abdominal hernia.