Owners wondering if dogs have belly buttons and if they can stick out will find all of the need-to-know information in this article. Despite having owned and interacted with dogs all our lives, we often tend to overlook or disregard certain unique physical features they possess, including “Outie” belly buttons.
Do dogs have belly buttons like humans?
Yes, dogs do have belly buttons.
Every mammal that’s birthed from a mother’s womb possesses this feature, as the navel is where the umbilical cord connects the fetus to the placenta. This cord — rich in blood vessels — is pivotal in transporting nutrients and oxygen from the mother to the fetus.
After birth, this cord is snipped off and eventually dries out, leaving behind an indistinct scar commonly known as the belly button. In humans, this scar can be fairly pronounced due to the technique used to sever and seal the umbilical cord, making it an identifiable feature. However, in dogs, the umbilical cord naturally withers away within a few days after birth, making their belly buttons less noticeable. Typically, a dog’s belly button manifests as a small, flat scar or thin line located in the abdominal area.
Can dogs’ belly buttons stick out like “outies?”
It is extremely rare for a dog to have an outie belly button naturally.
If you observe your canine friend’s tummy and notice a protrusion in the area where the navel is supposed to be, it could indicate a health issue, like an umbilical hernia.
An umbilical hernia in dogs usually appears as a soft swelling beneath the skin, where part of the intestine or other abdominal contents have escaped through an opening in the abdominal wall. This condition may require surgical intervention if severe, though smaller, asymptomatic hernias may resolve naturally.
