Why Do Dogs Have Belly Buttons?
Before writing this article I have to admit — I’d never give much though to my dogs belly button, let alone tried looking for it. I knew she had one, but I’d never noticed it or given it a second thought.
And then I got an e-mail from a reader asking me about dog belly buttons it and it got my mind wandering. Why do dogs have belly buttons anyways?
Why Do Dogs Have Belly Buttons?
Why do dogs have belly buttons? Dogs have belly buttons because they’re placental mammals. When puppies are developing inside their mother’s womb the nutrients and oxygen they need are passed from mother to baby via the umbilical cord. The umbilical cord is a flexible tube that provides the baby with food & oxygen, and it’s carries waste away from the baby back to the mother.
The belly button on a dog is the location where the umbilical cord was cut after birth. Belly buttons are found on all mammals (except marsupials), and they’re essentially just a scar in the location where the umbilical cord was cut.
All mammals (excluding marsupials) develop inside their mother’s womb with this process. The belly button itself is just the scar leftover from where the umbilical cord was removed after birth.
The umbilical cord is a flexible tube that carries oxygen and nutrients from the mother to the baby. – Kids Health
In the womb mammals receive food & nutrients through the umbilical cord. A belly button is the place where the umbilical cord is cut off after birth.
Belly Buttons Are Just a Scar
The belly button is just a scar, and it’s left after cutting off the umbilical cord in animals. Since mammals give live birth the babies develop inside their mother’s womb, and the umbilical cord is their lifeline. The umbilical cord passes along nutrients from the mother to developing baby (or puppy).
After puppies are born the mother will bite off & break the umbilical cord which leads to the formation of the belly button. In humans it’s often clamped & then cut, and the amount of cord left on a baby varies by practice.
Where Is a Dog’s Belly Button?
Your dog’s belly button is located on your dog’s stomach, towards the end of their rib cage. The belly button of a dog can be hard to find due to all their fur, and the fact that they’re typically a small, flat scar. In some dogs, especially shorter haired breeds, you may notice a swirl of hair around surrounding their belly button.
Nearly All Mammals Have Belly Buttons
The majority of mammals have belly buttons, including dogs, cats, dolphins, and humans – but there are a few exceptions.
Marsupials and platypus’ are the only mammals that don’t have belly buttons. A marsupial’s umbilical cord falls off in their mothers pouch, so the scar never forms. And since platypus’ lays eggs there’s no umbilical cord to begin with.
Belly Buttons on Dogs Aren’t Usually Prominent
Rather than being obvious like the human belly button, a dogs belly button is usually little more than a small, flat scar that’s obscured by fur. You’ve probably never noticed your dogs own belly button, and you’re not alone. I had to really look really closely to find my dogs belly button.
Puppies don’t have obvious belly buttons for a few reasons. The size of their umbilical cord is small. Sustaining a human baby requires a bigger umbilical cord, hence a bigger scar. A puppy’s scar heals into a small slit rather than a round hole. And the area is quickly covered with fur, making detection more difficult. – ScienceIQ
A Protruding Belly Button on a Dog Is Cause for Concern
A dogs belly button usually goes unnoticed, but when it sticks out it’s cause for concern. If your dog’s belly button is sticking out or swollen it could be a condition known as umbilical hernia. In a complicated hernia the contents of the abdomen become trapped in the belly button, and left untreated it can be fatal.
If you notice any swelling around your dogs belly button make an appointment with your veterinarian for the proper diagnosis & treatment.
Pro tip: Dogs that love belly rubs make the hunt for the elusive belly button easy. They’ll be so chill they won’t even notice you’re being a weirdo.
Can You See Your Dogs Belly Button?
I’m happy to say I finally found Laika’s belly button, though it did take a lot of belly rubs and coaxing. It’s just a tiny, flat hairless scar that normally goes unnoticed.
Have you seen your dogs belly button? Is it really small? Do you want to find it without raising suspicion? Try some good old fashioned belly rubs.
I noticed Sampson’s right away. I didn’t know it was called a belly button though, although I knew that was where the umbilical cord was. Why wouldn’t I think it was called a belly button? LOL
It’s so weird isn’t it? The whole “do dogs have belly buttons” question I was asked recently threw me completely off… I just sat there not knowing what to say lol.
I’ll have to have a look for Kilo’s. He gets belly rubs every morning but I never noticed.
Mine looks like a little swirly – aint dat a weird question….makes you go check out your pup’s tummy to find our little belly buttons, don’t it!!! Great write up – I shared via Twitter!
Aah, makes sense that they would have one. Not really visible at all on either of our guys.
LOL this was so cool!!! I have seen my dogs belly buttons before. My one husky Lexus, her belly button is very noticeable, I always see when she goes belly up for those tummy rubs!
I will have to start the search for my cats’ belly buttons now! They love belly rubs. I have thought about whether or not they have belly buttons before, actually. I’m weird like that. I just figured there was a difference in the way they healed that they didn’t have one. Very cool article indeed!
-Purrs from your friends at http://www.PlayfulKitty.net
They don’t do the “only pet me 3 times” routine do they? My kitty growing up did that, I’d pet her on her belly, she’d be loving it & then all of a sudden “NOPE” as she started kicking 🙂 But in all honesty I didn’t mind, I really miss having a cat around.
Nope! They thoroughly love to have their bellies rubbed. Sometimes Manna will want to play after her belly is rubbed, but it isn’t the same as the “only pet me 3 times” routine. 🙂
I’m going to have to go home and look for it now. I can safely say I’ve never thought about it before.
You think of the craziest things to write about.
I’ve only had one dog whose belly was smooth enough for me to find her belly button. I couldn’t resist blowing a raspberry on it and she couldn’t resist giving me a warning air snap.
I learned yet one more way in which dogs are definitely not like little kids. 🙂
I found that lesson out myself with Laika – turns out she didn’t appreciate the raspberry very much either. She growled then stood up as quickly as she could with the most puzzled look on her face.
I’m so glad I’m not the only one that’s done that 🙂
I can see Matilda’s bellybutton because she doesn’t have much fur there. I laugh at it sometimes!
I’ve never even thought about this before…. must check out the cats’ belly buttons later. 🙂
Haha, so funny, it never occurred to me that dogs would have belly buttons! I’ll have to start looking for them between belly rubs.
I’ve never actually located my dog’s belly button! Interesting that marsupials don’t have them!
Love & Biscuits,
Dogs Luv Us and We Luv Them
After reading this, you’re making Mom Paula did in our fur to find our kitty belly buttons
This was a really interesting article and I am off to look for Dexter’s.
I too had never given thought to this my dogs belly button. It’s late now, but I’m going to look for it tomorrow! Ha! Thanks for the info!
Both my dogs have very prominent belly buttons. The vet said it is unusual but nothing to worry about. Just odd they both do because they are not related that we know of.
Hi Rachel, found a liter puppies back around the 1st of December. I only kept one, a beautiful lil girl! I had no idea, until yesterday, that her bellybutton sticking out could be a problem. Can you tell me what breed your dogs are? Zayla is a mixed breed, unknown parents…. The best guess I have, with input from a Vet’s Assistant, she is Lab/blll dog mix ssibly Wiemerinar because of hair and eye color). I gave her the beginning round of shots and wormer, but I plan to visit the vet for rabbis shot, ect… Just curious if I should ask to schedule the appointment sooner. Thanks for any info you can give me. MeKisha & Zayla