Do Dogs Have Belly Buttons

Animals have come to mean so much in our lives that we have started taking care of them more than before and dogs have proved to be a man’s best friend despite all odds.

If you are a proud owner of a little puppy too and have just started exploring your paw buddy, this question has surely struck your mind; do dogs have belly buttons?

Well yes! All placental mammals, including dogs, have belly buttons. Placental mammals are animals like us, that give birth to live babies and not lay eggs or develop in their mother’s pouch. These animals feed on the nutrition and oxygen provided to them through their mother’s womb through the umbilical cord. Umbilical cord does the same function here too as in humans, connects the mother’s placenta to the puppy’s stomach. After birth, the mother chews the umbilical cord and leaves a wound at the connection point. This wound heals and develops into a small line that looks like scars, called belly button or navel.

Now, when you know Dogs have belly buttons, let us know a little more about the navel.

Where are the belly buttons located?

Dog’s navel is not easy to locate because of its small size and the fur that grows over it. Move your fingers under the fur where the tufts meet around the base of your dog’s rib. Just below the end of the ribcage, above the start of the abdomen; you will feel a scar-like area, the navel of your dog. This is found in both male and female dogs flanked by nipples at both sides.

What do these belly buttons look like?

To explain this better, let us quickly know a bit about human navels. A majority of humans have concave and larger navels than most mammals, called innies. About 10 percent of people have outies that look like a lump under the skin. These lumps are umbilical hernias that occur when muscles don’t heal properly. These hernias if left untreated, can become complicated and the contents of the abdomen become trapped in the belly button leading to a fatal condition.

How do I find my dog’s belly button

Your dogs might not be patient enough to let you move your fingers all along their body and explore the belly button. You can try these tricks to find their belly button:

  • Involve your dogs in some belly rub sessions where you can gently play and caress their belly to look for any other scars and bumps. This will lead you to the belly button too and will make you aware of any other health concern that your dog might be facing.
  • Catch them when they are calm and peaceful. Like when you are watching television together. Slowly put your hands around them and keep rubbing all over the body to gradually reach the stomach and then scratch around for the belly button. Make sure you don’t scare them by a sudden touch.

Let us know if you were successful in locating your dog’s belly button!

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About the Author: Clare Louise