My puppy has a small lump around the area his umbilical cord

Hi there. Thank you for the question. Let me see if I can help.

A lump or swelling in the area of the umbilical stump is definitely concerning and could certainly be a hernia. In most cases, when these are small, you can wait and have them corrected when the puppy is spayed or neutered. If it is very large or gets larger, becomes discolored (bright pink, red or purple) or seems to be painful to the puppy, then you should have it taken care of right away.

The eating of the rocks is likely not related to the hernia. It is a puppy behavior. They tend to explore things with their mouths. That being said, it is dangerous. Eating too many rocks or stone could definitely cause a gastrointestinal obstruction and irritation. I would do your best to discourage this behavior. Try to provide the puppy with other more acceptable things to chew up like dog treats and toys. When the puppy tries to eat the rocks, distract him and occupy him with other play and then praise him for not eating the rocks.

If you want more information about the lump on his belly, I can help you more if you are able to provide a photo for me to look at.

Best wishes. Let me know if you have any further questions.

Thank you for the picture. That looks very small. I would definitely point it out to your vet the next time you go in at the end of the month. But you do not need to go in earlier just for this. Again....if it increases in size or seems to get irritated or painful, then I would recommend going in earlier. Monitor it closely for size and coloration....but as long as it continues to look the same it is fine to just have it looked at when you go in at the end of July.

Best wishes and let me know if you have any further questions.