Perineal Hernia

[Marcia1225]

I have a 9-year old male toy poddle.  He was neutered when he was 6-months old.  He recently was diagnosed with a perineal hernia.  My question is since my dog was neutered what could have caused him to get the hernia?  I thought neutering male dogs kept them from getting this type of hernia.

[TeezKing]

My darling will be 7 yrs old in a week, his name is King. I am very afraid and sadden by his condition, perineal hernia. He had surgery a couple weeks before X-mas a year ago, thankful it has only been one. But the vet never told me before or after costly surgery that this would be life long. I excepted the challenge because the love I have for my animal. I have tried everything from peas and carrots in his food, fiber, laxatives, olive oil, psyllium seed, etc., sometimes the poor thing is so backed up that it takes a trip to the vet where they placed him under anesthesia, to clean him out. Nothing seems to work; a week ago he vomited blood, blood was also in his stool, he would not eat, his breathing was labored due to pain and his eyes were glossy. After an emergency visit, a second opinion, x-rays, and blood work, their was nothing to tell me( a loving owner) but the symptoms were maybe due to consist straining and gas in his stomach. King screeches at my and his own attempts to relieve himself of waste, and it's extremely upsetting to see my animal go through such things. Not to mention it is extremely stressful on my pocket and emotions of us both(King and myself). Just imagine someone going into your rectum almost twice daily. His cries are so loud that even at the vet I get crazy looks and the bold one who asks what's wrong with him?  Someone please help!!!!!! Listening to all suggestions, I'm really considering putting my baby to sleep, out of a desperation of the pain, I see him go through. At the though alone I cringe........and get very choked up..........but I don't like seeing him suffer!!!!!! Several sleepless nights later, I am beyond desperate.

[Ghilly]

A perianal mass is not the same as a perineal hernia.  A hernia is caused by a weakening of the muscle that allows some of the bowel to slip through.  Perineal hernias can be dangerous because sometimes they can cause difficulty in defecating and, if they are large enough, the bowel can slip through and not be able to slip back, which can cause strangulation of the bowel and present a life threatening situation.

A perianal mass is caused by a neoplasia (tumor or odd growth) of the anal gland.  About 80% of the time, these growths are tumors of the perianal sebaceous gland.  They are found in dogs but not in cats because cats do not have perianal sebaceous glands.  If this is an adenoma, there may not be a need for surgery right now because these are fairly slow-growing and not cancerous.  Your vet may advise you to just keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn't get large enough to make it difficult for your dog to go to the bathroom.  If it grows too large, defecation can become a problem and at that point, surgery IS mandatory if the dog is to survive.

If the mass is an adenosarcoma, then this means it is cancerous and unfortunately fatal if not removed.  Of course, like most other cancers, successful excision of the tumor depends upon whether or not it has metastasized to other areas of the body.  If it has metastasized, the prognosis is grim and your vet will be able to tell you what the dog's life expectancy would be with vs. without surgery.  Because of the possibility of it being an adenosarcoma, it would be a good idea to have the mass biopsied whether or not you plan to operate just so you know what you are dealing with.

Please keep us updated.

Ghilly

[ip40]

My dog is a yorkie terrier. He is 10 yrs old and was diagnosed with a perianal mass. Would that be the same as the jernia? I called to find out about the surgery and told me 2000/3000. I can't afford to have the surgeey. Not sure what o should do.

[Ghilly]

While early neutering of male dogs *helps* to prevent perineal hernias, there is no guarantee that a neutered male won't develop one.  There are other causes of perineal hernias, for example, straining to defecate or even a genetic weakness in the muscle mass.  Female dogs can also develop perineal hernias.  

If the hernia is small, sometimes scar tissue or fatty deposits can seal it off without having to have surgery done, but usually surgery is necessary to correct the defect.  The danger with a hernia of this type is the risk of a loop of intestine slipping through and becoming trapped in the hole and strangulating.  If that happens, it becomes a life threatening situation and emergency surgery is needed to remove the dead intestine and repair the hernia.  It is best to have it repaired upon diagnosis to eliminate the chance of any complications later.

Ghilly