Castration... bit worried :/

[5horses2dogsandacat]

I just had my colt castrated today all went with out a hitch, however im just checking he's still on the right tracks as I am a first timer!

I've tried to upload a pic off my phone to show what it looks like but as always modern tech lets me down when I need it most!

Anyhow.. there's no nasty puss, little bit of clear liquid and not dripping blood. There is quite a large opening that looks like there soft tissue and poking through a little... the vet said you sometimes get some fatty tissue poke through, but there isnt anything like that.

So from what I've said does this sound about right? xxx

 

[Waterborn]

Sounds ok to me, having mine castrated tomorrow

 

[5horses2dogsandacat]

Phew!!

Being a first timer, I know the bad signs to look for like guts hanging out etc lol but Im not sure if what it looks like is the right thing.. That makes no sense, but in my head it does!! lol

xx

 

[Cobiau Cymreig Wyllt]

Sounds pretty regular...mine did drip blood and his breeder whose yard he was still on when gelded ended up on phone to vet, counting the drips to him at the same time...but he still recovered fine.

 

[5horses2dogsandacat]

Good luck with your boy tomorrow, fingers crossed all goes well for him!! xx

 

[cob&onion]

Sounds ok to me, having mine castrated tomorrow

Lucky things!!!

Desperate to have my now 18 month colt done, but he only has one and thats getting bigger and hes got all the hormones of a young stallion he's even getting the cresty neck he is on his own at the moment as i have 2 mares, he does have mates over the fence but its not the same without mates in the field with him..........
Vet says leave him till spring, if its not there then he has to have an op

 

[Gucci_b]

I had my colt castrated a few weeks ago now, what yr saying about yr boy sounds all is well. You should be able to count the drips of blood (at least for a few days to come, any thing more then give yr vet a call) I also put the hose on my boy to help with the swelling.

 

[Spring Feather]

Sounds fine to me too. My colts are being castrated next week.

 

[Waterborn]

Thanks 5Horses, still time Cob&onion.
Here's the lucky chap (last year), soon to become a chapette

 

[Mare Stare]

Yeah. That sounds fine.

Just out of curiosity, what method did your vet use?

I've seen about 4 or 5 castrations now by different vets. All but one were done with the horse lying on the ground with a nurse holding a hindleg up with a rope. The last one I saw, however, was performed with the horse standing up, leaning against the fence, which I thought was unusual.

 

[Spring Feather]

You weren't asking me scrunchie but I can answer what goes on at my farm. All regular castrations are done standing up. I haven't seen a laid down castration for probably about 10 years or more. The first time I had a colt gelded standing up I thought it very odd but now I am a huge convert and would not want any of my colts done laid down (unless they were cryptorchids obviously).

 

[Cobiau Cymreig Wyllt]

mine was done standing up too...

 

[Gucci_b]

He was given a G.A (laying down) my friend and I took turns in holding a leg... their were no problems, but with the G.A he was out longer than I liked!!! and awoke in a panic....
I have seen a few now all but mine were castrated standing, and I thought the standing castration was much better for the horse... but thats just my veiw

 

[Mare Stare]

You weren't asking me scrunchie but I can answer what goes on at my farm. All regular castrations are done standing up. I haven't seen a laid down castration for probably about 10 years or more. The first time I had a colt gelded standing up I thought it very odd but now I am a huge convert and would not want any of my colts done laid down (unless they were cryptorchids obviously).

Do you use a horsey vet? The standing castration was done by a specialist horsey vet, the others were done by regular domestic/farm vets. I thought maybe the horsey vet was trained differently.

 

[Spring Feather]

Do you use a horsey vet? The standing castration was done by a specialist horsey vet, the others were done by regular domestic/farm vets. I thought maybe the horsey vet was trained differently.

Yes my vet is solely an equine vet. Lying them down is a very outdated method and it's probably not my place to say but if a vet came and wanted to put any of mine on the ground to castrate I would have a problem with that.

 

[5horses2dogsandacat]

Yeah. That sounds fine.

Just out of curiosity, what method did your vet use?

I've seen about 4 or 5 castrations now by different vets. All but one were done with the horse lying on the ground with a nurse holding a hindleg up with a rope. The last one I saw, however, was performed with the horse standing up, leaning against the fence, which I thought was unusual.

My chap did him lying in the paddock, with me holding the hind leg, it was really interesting, wish I could have been a vet.

I've been round with David Ellis in Newmarket, before they moved across to NEH and watched a castration there which was done standing up.

The guy today was saying how TBs react to the sedative and can try to get up whilst being castrated which I suppose would make more sense to do them standing up as it means its would be safer for everyone involved if they trashed around trying to stand.

I guess also if a horse lays on its side for too long there is the risk of the lung collapsing (im not sure how big a risk but i guess its something else to consider..)

xx

 

[shadowboy]

Mine was done standing. This was him 24 hours later. All went well and he had no complications.

 

[RutlandH2O]

My 17 and 18 months old Shire colts were done standing this time last year. It was interesting to observe the different attitudes to standing vs recumbent castration within my veterinary practice. All my Shire friends encouraged me to insist on standing castration. One of the vets echoed an article I read about the possibility of evisceration in a standing procedure on a large breed. The boys experienced the surgery quite differently. One barely bled, while the other
bled for almost 3 days (I was counting the drops and was on the phone to the vet daily). Ultimately, they healed well with no complications.

 

[joeanne]

I had two done earlier this year. One newfie cross and a mini.
Mini was done on the floor and newfie was done standing.
Newfie proceeded to sweat buckets for days after until he was clipped, which solved the problem.

 

[DebbieBrand]

Mine was done standing, and the clear fluid and drips of blood continued for 10 days. Vet told me if the hole healed too quickly I should poke my finger in to keep it open and draining. Luckily it remained open and dripping for over a week, and healed with no complications, not too much swelling either. You could see a little stump sticking through the opening but that is apparently quite normal.

 

[Naryafluffy]

Personally I would probably also go with a standing castration, more from the point that I have watched horses come roudn from GA and this is where they are likely to damage themselves, I didn't see it but my friends mare had to get GA for colic surgery, surgery went fine, mare broke her leg trying to stand up and falling over when coming round from the GA.

When a castration is done lying down is it under GA or just sedated to the point where they can't stand (sorry never seen a lying down castration, and all GA experiences are for surgery i.e. kissing spine/colic etc)?

It's personal choice at the end of the day and as long as you are happy with the choice it doesn't matter what other people think.

Hope your boy feels better (and obviously 2 stone lighter) soon

 

[5horses2dogsandacat]

It was under heavy sedation as under GA u need gas etc.

I guess there are pros and cons to both. As long as its a good result then I guess that is all that matters.. however it would be interesting to read up some more on it


Thanks naryafluffy he's doing well today so should be a nicer calmer boy in the future and the risk of unwanted Foal are now gone
Xxxx

 

[jm2k]

Just jumping onto this thread to ask general prices for the castration?

Havent had a horse done for 15yrs, but the newbie is arriving with his bits this week - need to book it in but curious on average prices
thanks x

 

[bugbee717]

Been quoted £140- £250 by one vet, fixed price of £197 and anyone's guess from another. Thats done standing. I have paid £300 to £360 for ga gelding.

 

[lottie940]

Had my boy done in February. He did have a bit of tissue drop down and it was poking out of the wound. I got the vet back to take it off and she said I did the right thing as it would have stopped the wound from knitting together properly. If its hanging down then I'd get them back tomorrow to take it off.

 

[joeanne]

Varys depends on location, and method.
Here its anywhere from £140-250.

 

[glenruby]

I know many equine surgeons (ie true specialists) in the USA do not do any castrations standing. In the uk and Ireland, standing is the preferred choice of most equine vets. I do know a few who do theirs down - all are raving vets. A lot of it is personal choice - I prefer to do mine standing. However, it is advisable to do mature horses down to ensure they are ligated as there is an increased risk of bleeding. I do ligate all my castrations standing too though.

 

[glenruby]

That's racing vets not raving! And Springfeather - it is not an outdated method. Certain cases should not be done standing.

 

[Enfys]

My Vet does them standing - at least the horses are, when he did the mini he was lying on the floor underneath him, we joked that we should have stood the pony on a table.

He does something I have never encountered in the UK (where most were done lying incidentally) he puts clamps on, and leaves them on, returning the next day to remove them and do a check-up. He has done several colts for me, never had a single problem with any of them. I don't geld in the Fall, with the temperature dropping fast it seems a bit brutal to put them back out with a wound in minus C.