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umbilical hernia

K

kwebb

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 21, 2006
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112
Location
Texas
I've got a heifer calf that I had an umbilical hernia sewn up on not more than a month ago.

Yesterday I saw that she's got a bulge there and this time it's protruding. Last time I just found it because I was feeling around her abdomen for umbilical abcess/navel infection--had her in the headgate and checked her up and down and found it by luck. I just felt that she had a soft spot/hole there and nothing was actually poking through. Now, it looks like a pretty good hunk of gut is hanging through.

What gives? Is this something that normally recurs or should I ask my vet for a refund on the last sew up? :???:

I'm very disappointed about this calf. She's got a little too much underline, but her momma is long and thick and I am just sick that this one is giving me problems. She went from a fine prospective dam to hamburger meat, and that means alot of $ lost and a continued search for a good dam. Having registered cattle sometimes just ain't worth it--may post another thread on that.
 
Being registered doesn't have diddle to do with the hernia. She doesn't know she's registered!!!

I've had that to happen...and it' s not her fault nor the vets. Somethings just happpen and need a re-do
 
If she was up and about doin what calves have a tendancy to do (run buck and pitch) it's possible that she tore the stitches loose that the vet put in. Shouldn't be a big deal to go back in and do it again. Might wanna keep her confined a lil longer this time tho than before, give it time to heal better.
Them kinda things is just stuff that's beyond your controll. Don't think I'd keep her as a replacement either, sometimes ya just have em that you hafta sell as hamburger. Happens to all of us for one reason or another, wether they are registered or commercial.
Are hernia's hereditary? Have had horses that recovered from the surgery just fine tho. Usable, but I don't know about breedin one that's had that.
 
- - Quote Merck - -

http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/20207.htm&word=umbilical%2chernia

Hiatal hernia,
Hernias involving the abdomen are seen when abdominal contents protrude through a natural or abnormal opening in the body wall. They may be congenital or acquired. In acquired hernias, there is usually a history of trauma. Congenital hernias may involve the diaphragm or the abdominal wall. Hernias involving the diaphragm are of 3 main types: peritoneopericardial, in which abdominal contents are found extending into the pericardial sac; pleuroperitoneal, in which abdominal contents are found within the pleural cavity; and hiatal, in which the abdominal esophagus, gastroesophageal junction, and/or portions of the stomach protrude through the esophageal hiatus of the diaphragm into the thoracic cavity. Clinical signs vary from asymptomatic to severe and depend on the amount of herniated tissue and its effect on the organ it is displacing. Hiatal hernias may be "sliding" and result in clinical signs of reflux esophagitis (anorexia, salivation, and/or vomition) that may be intermittent. Diagnosis is through radiology; contrast studies are often needed for confirmation. Fluoroscopy or endoscopy is useful in the diagnosis of sliding hiatal hernias. Correction of the aforementioned hernias is best accomplished through surgery. In the case of hiatal hernias, medical therapy, including the use of systemic antacid preparations and dietary modification, may control signs if mild.

Abdominal hernia,
Hernias involving the abdominal wall include umbilical, inguinal, or scrotal. Umbilical hernias are secondary to failure of the normal closure of the umbilical ring and result in protrusion of abdominal contents into the overlying subcutis. Size varies depending on the extent of the umbilical defect and the amount of abdominal contents contained within it. The etiology in both large and small animals is likely to have a genetic component; however, excess traction on an oversized fetus or cutting the umbilical cord too close to the abdominal wall are other possible causes. Diagnosis is usually straightforward, especially if the hernia is manually reducible. If irreducible, the hernia must be differentiated from an umbilical abscess, which is common in large animals. Umbilical hernia and umbilical abscess often are seen together, especially in cattle and swine. Exploratory puncture, such as via fine-needle biopsy with cytopathology, may be required for confirmation. Correction is surgical. In small animals, if the hernia is small, surgical correction is often done at the same time as sterilization procedures. In calves, some success has been achieved by applying a binder of broad adhesive bandage (10 cm width) for 3-4 wk. The owner should be advised that the weakness may be heritable.

Sell Her !!!!
 
Thank you all for the good advice and I will follow it.

On the registered v. commercial you are right, too. I said that wrong as anytime you lose a replacement it is costly.

I think of them in four classes.

One are the keepers--the replacements that are good cattle that throw good calves that are not culls and can be either registered replacement, commercial replacement, or registered sellers.

Two are the registered sellers--ones that I think I can turn a nickel on that are the cream of the crop as far as what the breed calls for. Frankly, I like my cattle a little different than the breed wants, so this works out nice. These are the extra fancies I think are a little too high maintenance--they just have characteristics that I know registered breeders will pay for.

Three are the commercial replacement--ones that have too much underline of maybe a drop behind the shoulders but throw calves and keep on walking--the ones that just turn up pregnant every 10 months and never look thin, but never look like they'll win the county fair, either. These are my favorites.

Four are the culls--which this beautiful little calf became. And anyone with any heart at all cannot sell these as breeders. If you got any guts to you, you tell the auction house when you drop them off if they've prolapsed, calved hard, herniated, etc. Otherwise, this BS just keeps on and keeps on. I don't want some other guy having to pay $120 a whack sewing up calves just so I could make a few bucks. A while back I had a vet fix a prolapse and he asked me if I wanted a "trader's stitch," an internal stitch that hides the prolapse in the sale ring. Hell no I don't, and folks that do should rethink their doings.

A decent registered cow around here will cost an average of probably $1400. A really good one will cost $2000 or more of course.

It just gets frustrating have one go from a potential of $2000 to $500 overnight. I will grow her out to 700 pounds or so and see what she will bring for hamburger.

Again, thanks very much to all and sorry for the whining!
 
That wasn't whining,you had some bad luck---Glad to hear you are honest,many would have had the "traders stitch"done ,and never said a word about any problems the others had----I'm proud of you--
 
peg4x4 said:
Glad to hear you are honest,many would have had the "traders stitch"done ,and never said a word about any problems the others had----I'm proud of you--
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LOL. Those of us that buy cows from salebarns understand that we take a chance on prolapses, big teats, hard calvers and everything else imaginable. That's part of buying from salebarns. That doesn't necessarily make the seller dishonest.

I don't know how it is everywhere else, but when you try to "do the right thing" with a running-age, prolapsed, bred cow at a Texas salebarn, the only thing you accomplish is to allow some trader to make extra money that you could have invested back in your herd.

And while you're sleeping good that night knowing that you did the right thing, your cow will be on her way to another salebarn to be preg checked and run with the stock cows. The cow will still go back to the country. The only difference will be whose pocket the extra money goes in.
 
Texan:

I think it is dishonest to trade cattle as breeders that have genetic or health problems as it just passes those traits around an lowers the value of all cattle. This is especailly true in registered cattle. If you sell a registered cow to another breeder and her backside falls out a few days later, you will have to buy the cow back, and your name will be mud for a long time (and you might get you ash whipped, too--and rightly so).

Doing things in life to make the whole better don't make you something to be laughed at where I'm from.

Yeah, lots of people do trade in bad cattle, and I think they suck. Lots of people rob and sell drugs, too. I'm not going to join them just because lots of people do it.

I want people to know what I am selling them and if it costs me $.50 a pound, then so be it. Anybody that sells me a bad cow will never sell another one to me or anyone I know.

I left the stitches in that cow and told the salebarn to tell the buyers she needed to be hamburger. That's all I can do. If they are unscrupulous, that's their problem. I'm not. Keep on selling your cattle as breeders that aren't and I'll do things the way I do.

Just because cattle go to an auction doesn't mean your ethics go out the window--you're still selling your product to someone and you should be ready to stand by it. If you walk into a sale barn and turn into a crook to make a few cents a pound, you weren't much more than that outside.

Sure, I think the buyer should beware--it's a sale, but they shouldn't have to beware of things there is no way they can see or discern from viewing the cattle. Just because things are done a certain way don't make it right and I don't have to use your ways if I think they're wrong. And I agree that there are not guarantees on cattle--sometimes you get a bad one. The key is to be man enough to sort that one out and just take your loss on it and get her out of circulation as best you can without perpetuating that loss to some other poor fella.

From what you say no cull cows ever get slaughtered--they just keep going back out to pasture to cost the next chump some money. No wonder hamburger is costly.

Peg 4X4--thanks. You are right.
 
kwebb said:
I think it is dishonest to trade cattle as breeders that have genetic or health problems as it just passes those traits around an lowers the value of all cattle.
Click to expand...
I don't disagree with that. But you don't know if every prolapse is a genetic problem or not. Not all prolapses will do it again. I never said for you to change your ways or to do anything differently. I admire your stance. But it's very possible that your prolapsed cow might have given someone an opportunity to improve their herd. Just keep in mind that everyone has a cull that will improve somebody's herd. Somewhere out there is a set of cows that will be improved upon by adding your culls or my culls.

kwebb said:
I left the stitches in that cow and told the salebarn to tell the buyers she needed to be hamburger. That's all I can do. If they are unscrupulous, that's their problem. I'm not.
Click to expand...
That's not all you can do. If the principle is so much more important than any amount of money, why don't you just kill her and bury her? That, or carrying her straight to slaughter yourself, is the only way that you can be sure that she dies.

kwebb said:
From what you say no cull cows ever get slaughtered--they just keep going back out to pasture to cost the next chump some money. No wonder hamburger is costly.
Click to expand...
LOL. "No cull cows ever get slaughtered"? Where did I say that?
 
I know lots of guys who pick off the open and culled breed cows at the salebarn.. A lot of guys whole herd is based on buying these older animals and squeezing one more year out of them or two and basically turning around and selling them for the same they paid for them.. A lot of high profitt guys, wouldn't call the herds pretty but some have some nice calves... Even saw a couple of my cows at a place once as I was driving by... I would recognize that crazy cow anywhere, I think she was looking to come at me like she rememberd last calving season...There was something about me she din't like, neighbor out in the field, no problem.. Me? The eyes were blazing.
 
I don't hide a stitch (I've never had a prolaps yet) but I certainly feel no obligation to expose why she's there unless she is dangerous in an unusual way. It's a sale barn. You buy and sell cows without any reputation unless one is stated. Would you also tell the audience that this group of 3 year olds raised 300 lb calves their first trip out? If you cull a set of steers with an ultrasound and send the lower cut to the sale barn would you tell them this is a set of steers that'll all finish as standards? My word is good , if I say they're ok, they're ok , other than that you're on your own. Maybe southern sale barns are lower class than northern ones.
 
I never thought of taking a cow straight to a slaughterhouse...thanks for the idea.

Otherwise, take care and good luck.
 
Red Robin, I agree with you and kwebb both about the hidden stitches. I've never even sold one with any kind of stitch, but the hidden one is pretty unethical, in my opinion. Some of those cows are bought for grazing cows and are turned out with bulls with minimal working. A hidden stitch could easily be overlooked by the buyer and is just asking for trouble with a bull or even worse---multiple bulls.

Back to the subject, though---if the heifer with the hernia isn't too big yet, you might try the duct tape wrap. I've never used it, but some people swear by it for a cheap, do it yourself fix. Good luck.
 

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