Do dogs have belly buttons? A fun question occurred to my mind, and I guess since you are reading this article, it occurred to you too!
While there are “innie” and “outie” belly buttons, dog owners still have no idea whether their dogs have belly buttons or not. This information might be interesting to know for some people, but not everyone.
Today, I wanted to break my curiosity by answering the question, do dogs have belly buttons, or is it just a myth? So, let’s begin our Dog’s Belly Buttons Story!
Table of Contents
What Is A Belly Button?
Vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients are carried from the mother’s body to her embryo by a bendable tube known as the umbilical cord.
When it’s time for birth, this umbilical cord had to be cut for the baby to get out. The belly button is the sign or mark (in medicine, it is a healed wound) made by the cutting process, or in other words, it’s a representation that shows where was the umbilical cord was attached.
The belly button is the colloquial name of the “navel or the umbilicus,” the navel. As a result of being a scar rather than a natural body organ, it is unique in every individual. Such uniqueness drove people to classify it into two types, “innies” and “outies” to make it easier to be identified.
The difference is simply that the “outie” protrudes outside the periumbilical skin, unlike the “innie,” which don’t. Popular forms of “outie” navels include split, protrusion, circlet, and swirly are known shapes of “innie” umbilicus, including oval, horizontal, T-shaped, and round vertical shaped.
Animals & Belly Buttons
As we’ve established earlier, belly buttons’ existence is a result of certain circumstances. The absence of such events will typically mean the absence of belly buttons.
Some animals (like koalas and kangaroos) spend their first embryogenic days in their mother’s pouch to clarify this up. These animals are known as marsupials.
Other animals (like birds, frogs, platypus, and fish) use egg-laying as a reproduction method instead of pregnancy, thus requiring little to no time of embryological development within the mother. The point should be clear by now that since both types don’t need to the umbilical cord, then they won’t have belly buttons.
Both of these types are known as” non-placental” animals. Most of the mammals (like dogs and cats) are placental. That means they carry their fetus in the uterus, thus require an umbilical cord for its nutrition during its time within the mother’s umbilicus. When the fetus is delivered, the belly button appears.
So hopefully, this long explanation helps you with your questions, do dogs have belly buttons? Furthermore, the reason behind its answer. If not, feel free to read below.
Do Dogs Have Belly Buttons? The Answer!
Yes, is the short answer to the question do dogs have belly buttons. Your puppy indeed has a belly button, but their belly buttons aren’t noticeable and very hard to find, unlike us. However, finding it can be a little bit challenging as we are going to give you 6 easy steps to find it down below.
Why Their Belly Buttons Are Difficult To See?
Their small size and the fur surrounding them make finding a belly button in dog harder than other animals. Nevertheless, if you search for it properly, you can still find and see it.
Where To Find Your Dog’s Belly Button?
It turns out that “do dogs have belly buttons?” is an easy question compared to “where is my dog’s belly button?”
Finding your dog’s belly button can indeed be challenging at times; however, if the missing belly button is a mystery that’s been keeping you up all night, it will be helpful to know where to look up first do that follow up these steps. Disclaimer: Don’t Expect It To Be Easy!
- It would be much easier if your dog were asleep.
- Turn your dog on the back (obviously duh!).
- Your targeted area should be ¾ of the way down their abdomen (similar to humans).
- Unlike us, the parent dog shows off the umbilical cord just post-delivery, leaving no physical existence, making your task harder.
- The next step is a hand-inspect that involves sensing and spreading the fur in that area.
- If you’ve stumbled upon a smooth, firm tissue or a little white line, then congrats! You’ve just found your dog’s belly button.
Was it like what you’ve expected?
What Will It Look Like?
As you might expect, your dog’s belly button is nothing like yours. Although they come in various sizes and shapes, the canines’ typical belly button will look like a flat scar or a tiny swelling beneath the skin.
Do Dogs Have “Outie” Belly Buttons?
Yes, there are no dogs known to have “innie” belly buttons. However, we shouldn’t be confused between the “outie” belly button and the emergence of abdominal body parts. Unless your dog was in early puppyhood, any protruded part should be treated seriously as it’s might be a sign of umbilical hernia (read below).
Umbilical Hernia In Dogs
In general, when an organ emerges outside the cavity that holds it, we call such a condition hernia. An umbilical hernia is one of the most common types of hernia, and it’s caused due to the incomplete or partial closure of the umbilical ring.
It typically looks like a tiny swelling under the skin, and sometimes it won’t be visible till your dog stands or walks.
The presence of an umbilical hernia by itself won’t pose any danger. However, one shouldn’t neglect such condition as the emerged part of your dog’s belly would be exposed to being harmed, cut, attacked by bacteria, or in the best-case scenarios, it gets dirty.
Merely pushing the exposed body back would be enough in some types of hernia. Those are called reducible hernias. However, some cases require surgical involvement.
The medical staff will then cut out the exposed part of your dog’s belly and use sutures to close it.
So, Is There Any Purpose For Their Existence, Or Are They Just Remnants?
Safer, faster, and more efficient are the three signs that define a “good operation” from the surgeon’s point of view. Luckily, due to nowadays improvements in the medical field, technology, and the presence of the belly buttons, the dream becomes a reality, at least for abdominal surgeries.
Now, cameras and medical tools can be safely inserted in the abdomen by making one small incision around the belly button area, thus eliminating any possible chance of wound infection or scars and allowing the overall operation to be a better opportunity toward success.
This type of surgery is known as “Orifice Surgery,” They wouldn’t have been around without belly buttons; remember this next time you play with it!
Can You See Your Dog’s Belly Button?
Finally, after going through a detailed answer to the question do dogs have belly buttons, you can now find your dog’s belly buttons. It is a fun question and a satisfying answer to know! Yes, dogs have belly buttons, and it is your turn to find it!
If you have more information about dog’s belly button, please write them down below in the comment section. So, every dog owner benefits from that.
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