bumpbelly calf

[ivan.strilk]

i got a 230 lb male calf at the sale barn the other day, for the description they said it was a bump belly calf. Im guessing it has a hernia or something, walks fine, really jumpy, looks like the is a bump right on the naval. what could it be? how should i treat it?

 

[hillsdown]

I don't think there is much you can do besides a surgical procedure for an umbilical hernia. Thought we had one in a Holstein steer a few years ago and our vet said surgery or butcher him before he gets too big and it gets worse to the point of infection and septicemia. Turned out he didn't have one after all and we butchered him at 1500 lbs and 15 months old.

Have you felt him to see if there is a hole there ?

 

[wbvs58]

A technique used by a very reowned Australian vet on Thoroughbred foals/yearlings with umbilical hernias up to about 2 finger size was to inject them with local, squeeze away contents and place 2 large safety pins at right angles through loose skin close to the base and the slip an elastrator ring over the lot ( the pins stop the band from slipping off and keep it where needed) ( safety pins = diaper pins in your language). The skin falls off in appropriate time and also results in tightening of the hernia ring. Most umbilical hernias in young animals tend to tighten up a bit with maturity as well. A tetanus is given as well.
This was in the late 1970's, with todays litigation I doubt it would be used on expensive horses now. I have never been game to use the technique on valuable horses but I believe it was very successfull. I would not hesitate to use it on my own cattle it is very cheap and easy.
Ken

 

[dun]

One fixed one and a local dairy fixes all of his with duct tape. Poke the guts back in the hole and basicly make a tight body wrap from shoulders to pins. You have ot pull it off every 4-5 days nad put on a new one. Calves are bald in that area for a while and will come to hate you but it will let the hernia grow closed. I'll never do it again though!

 

[regolith]

The local vet had took two attempts at fixing my hernia calf then gave up. You'd never have known she had one when she grew up - she calved 3 times & was culled before her sixth birthday (third calf was too big she didn't breed again).

Benign neglect is okay.

Surgery resulted in the stitches falling out and the hernia reappearing. The next attempt was a clamp - two pieces of wood screwed tight together. It caused her sufficient pain that she removed it within a couple of days. We didn't try again.