Holstein with large belly button

[johnny25]

Just wondering if anyone has treated a holstein with this problem before. Normally I would ignore an animal with a large belly button because I have heard that they can get larger and turn into hernia's. Anyways here belly button was the size of a small baseball and today I went and checked on her and it was huge. She looks sick but is eating well. She is not getting pushed around but you can tell she doesnt look right. Any suggestions.

 

[milkmaid]

Does it look like this?

Holstein heifer with a hernia.

 

[WarriorPatriot]

You should have him checked up by a vet. Some of the hernias will get big, others wont. On eof my steers got one as he got older and we couldnt keep him for showing.

 

[johnny25]

Yes that picture is a pretty good representation of what it looks like after she has been eating for awhile. I go and feed in the morning and its small and as the day goes on it gets larger. She doesnt look right. Hair is a little dirty, she looks sick. She definatly is not the ideal holstein. I guess the strange thing is for months she looked great and then one day i noticed she was off in the corner and went to check on her and sure enough here basebal sized belly button balloned to a volleyball.

 

[funky 4-Her]

It could be a rupture, where her belly buton didnt grow closed when she was a calf and now her stomach gets in there and causes it to grow when she eats.

 

[GMN]

Could it be a navel infection rather than a hernia? Naval infections make them sick, whereas a hernia, in my experience just looks bad, but doesn't make them sick.

Gail