Getting a colt cut at home?

Oh lovely...I have that to look forward to! Castration booked at home in a few weeks. The countdown is on...! The surgeon who is doing it has been so helpful, she also did the filly's hernia op, so I know he's in safe hands ( Cardinal might not agree....!)
 
I had a yearling, 2yr old and 4yr old who I'd been waiting to drop, all done on the same day. All standing. All dragged out of the field and done just outside the gate and then chucked back out afterwards. I waited till the mid was dryish but before the flies were about, and I did keep a close eye on the for signs of infection. But it was fine, and all 3 are now grown up ponies living lovely lives as geldings which wasnt something they were destined for before I took them on :)
 
I tried to have my horse done in the field at home, but because he was quite a big youngster the vet decided to knock him out and try to do it with him on the floor.
However when she went to cut him with the scalpel he basically leapt up off the floor with me around his head. She tried extra sedation but he just would not go under enough, every time she touched him with the scalpel you could see him quiver. We decided to have him done at the hospital where apparently he still wouldn't go completely under but I felt happier him being done there. We picked him up the same day so he was back out with his pals straight away. He was over a year old when he was done and the swelling was horrible, he walked very funnily for a couple of days, but had no complications at all. My vets had actually suggested have him done in the field in the first place so I'm sure your lad will be fine.
 
windseywoo said:
I tried to have my horse done in the field at home, but because he was quite a big youngster the vet decided to knock him out and try to do it with him on the floor.
However when she went to cut him with the scalpel he basically leapt up off the floor with me around his head. She tried extra sedation but he just would not go under enough, every time she touched him with the scalpel you could see him quiver. We decided to have him done at the hospital where apparently he still wouldn't go completely under but I felt happier him being done there. We picked him up the same day so he was back out with his pals straight away. He was over a year old when he was done and the swelling was horrible, he walked very funnily for a couple of days, but had no complications at all. My vets had actually suggested have him done in the field in the first place so I'm sure your lad will be fine.
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Oh the poor lad you must have been mortified! Lomax was as good as gold and as well as castration he had microchipping done, his inoculations, an injection of antibiotics , and the sedating injection also a blood sample taken For test for strangles. So he went through the mill yesterday , as soon as the sedative wore off he was back grazing, he has a very strong constitution I feel.
 
I had a 2 year old colt castrated at home, it was way back in the 80's, and the vet used Immobilon (Etorphine Hydrochloride) This drug is licensed for registered Vets only. Let's just say it works Instantly via IV and it was so frighteningly fast. Horse was knocked out immediately. This drug came with it's own revival drug for the horse, called Revivon and this worked just as fast to bring the horse round and back on its feet when castration finished. However, Immobilon was (is) extremely dangerous and an accidental injection to a human will prove fatal if the human antidote is not administered immediately.

The vet who carried out the op, gave specific instructions to me and 2 others, as to what to do should an accident with this drug occur. One was to administer the anitdote drug to the vet in set intervals -(as he would be unconscious & it came in its own case with preloaded syringes) whilst the other was to telephone for an emergency ambulance to attend. Thankfully in this instance it was not needed. Horse came round and let out. Swollen for a few days but returned to normal pretty quickly... not sure I'd want to be anywhere near this drug now though.

I understand it is mainly used for bringing down large wild animals now, such as rhino or elephants and works particularly well because only a little is needed ie 5mg for a rhino!, it acts fast and can be shot using a blow pipe dart plus the Revivon works just as quickly to get said wild animal back up and out in the wild. Don't get me wrong, I don't they are castrating them here! probably fitting radio collars or doing emergency treatment.

I'm sure all will go well with yours OP...at least it shouldn't be so dangerous for any of you :)

Anyone else remember this drug being used?
 
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MotherOfChickens said:
wow Chiliipup-vets used to speak of Immobilon in hushed tones but it was just too dangerous for routine use in domestic situations and it was phased out in the 80s I think.
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Yep, why am I not surprised ....it scared the **** out of me. One second I'm holding the end of a long lead rope, attached to a 16hh HIS registered colt, the next second, colt is on the deck fast a sleep! The vet that used it was probably in his 50's/60's at the time and some what old school -
 
chillipup said:
Yep, why am I not surprised ....it scared the **** out of me. One second I'm holding the end of a long lead rope, attached to a 16hh HIS registered colt, the next second, colt is on the deck fast a sleep! The vet that used it was probably in his 50's/60's at the time and some what old school -
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I was told there were a couple of deaths from it. I have a vet pal who did some work in Africa on a reserve, when I next see him I'll ask him if they're still using it!
 
windseywoo said:
However when she went to cut him with the scalpel he basically leapt up off the floor with me around his head. She tried extra sedation but he just would not go under enough, every time she touched him with the scalpel you could see him quiver. We decided to have him done at the hospital where apparently he still wouldn't go completely under but I felt happier him being done there. We picked him up the same day so he was back out with his pals straight away. He was over a year old when he was done and the swelling was horrible, he walked very funnily for a couple of days, but had no complications at all. My vets had actually suggested have him done in the field in the first place so I'm sure your lad will be fine.
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Poor ******! Although mine were only sedated, local meant they didn't feel anything...
 
Mine needed to rest his head so he didn't fall down. I didn't even need to hold him...

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ycbm said:
Since when was a general anaesthetic safer than a standing castration? For the vet, maybe, but the horse has a significant risk of dying or crippling itself in the recovery room!
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I have all mine done at home (except one who had a testicle retained - he had to go to hospital). I'd have had about 50 done in the last 10 years - all in the field - and all knocked right out. It's safer - and less chance of a mistake. I even had a 6 year old stallion done in the field (a CLEAN field!) - he just needed more dope so cost a bit more. My usual ones (done as yearlings) cost about £140 - the vet brings a nurse with him and I have an assistant too for holding the legout of the way!
 
JanetGeorge said:
I have all mine done at home (except one who had a testicle retained - he had to go to hospital). I'd have had about 50 done in the last 10 years - all in the field - and all knocked right out. It's safer - and less chance of a mistake. I even had a 6 year old stallion done in the field (a CLEAN field!) - he just needed more dope so cost a bit more. My usual ones (done as yearlings) cost about £140 - the vet brings a nurse with him and I have an assistant too for holding the legout of the way!
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So yours were sedated and down? Mine were done stood - it was so quick and simple. The longest part was the wait for the local to work properly - we just had a cuppa :) start to finish took about 15 minutes.
 
MotherOfChickens said:
wow Chiliipup-vets used to speak of Immobilon in hushed tones but it was just too dangerous for routine use in domestic situations and it was phased out in the 80s I think.
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I had a couple done with Immobilon back in the '70s/early '80s, and I noticed a reaction each time the scalpel made contact. My impression was it paralysed them but didn't entirely remove all feeling. I hated it, and I did know of a couple of vets who used it to commit suicide.
 
JillA said:
I had a couple done with Immobilon back in the '70s/early '80s, and I noticed a reaction each time the scalpel made contact. My impression was it paralysed them but didn't entirely remove all feeling. I hated it, and I did know of a couple of vets who used it to commit suicide.
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interesting about the lack of analgesia but I guess that there are just better drugs these days for that. As for the suicide, vets unfortunately have many means at their disposal.
 
MotherOfChickens said:
interesting about the lack of analgesia but I guess that there are just better drugs these days for that. As for the suicide, vets unfortunately have many means at their disposal.
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I remember getting colts cut at home by vets using Immobilon. Damned lethal stuff. if the vet didn't have a colleague with him he used to give the antidote to me just in case he got jabbed accidentally. I was told by several vets that Immobilon didn't knock horses out - they were, for all intents and purposes, stoned out of their minds and could feel the cut. We finally refused to use it and told our vets to think again. Now we have them done sedated and standing. Oh, and apparently Immobilon was often the drug of choice for vets to commit suicide. The whole thing makes me shudder.
 
Tetrarch 1911 said:
…….. . I was told by several vets that Immobilon didn't knock horses out - they were, for all intents and purposes, stoned out of their minds and could feel the cut. We finally refused to use it and told our vets to think again. …….. .
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Those humans who I know who've had hip-replacement ops have been done whilst conscious and as you suggest, wrecked. With the understanding which humans have of the ramifications of surgery, the same understanding which animals lack, why should it be considered as anything less than humane?

I've never had a horse 'cut' whilst standing, they've always been on the floor, but given the choice, it sounds vastly preferable, to me anyway!

Alec.
 
Alec Swan said:
Those humans who I know who've had hip-replacement ops have been done whilst conscious and as you suggest, wrecked. With the understanding which humans have of the ramifications of surgery, the same understanding which animals lack, why should it be considered as anything less than humane?

I've never had a horse 'cut' whilst standing, they've always been on the floor, but given the choice, it sounds vastly preferable, to me anyway!

Alec.
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I very much expect that the people having hip replacements are having decent analgesia! Likewise the colts we did standing had sedation and a lot of local anaesthetic.
Although I will say, feeling something is not the same as it being uncomfortable or hurting. I won't have a GA if I can help it and I had to have a cyst removed from my neck about 10 years ago. I persuaded a junior surgeon in the ER to do it for me without the GA. I could feel it and it was weird, but not painful-I did of course, have a lot of local. Analgesia has improved in the last 30 years and dare I say it, our perception of pain in other species and our willingness to spare them pain.
 
I'm struggling to get the vet to do a xray at home so doubt they would want to do a castration! Why is it that vets are so keen to get us to take horses in to the hospital?
I don't have my own transport so it makes it difficult for me.
 
selinas spirit said:
I'm struggling to get the vet to do a xray at home so doubt they would want to do a castration! Why is it that vets are so keen to get us to take horses in to the hospital?
I don't have my own transport so it makes it difficult for me.
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There is a huge difference - most x ray machines are massive, heavy and very very expensive, and the only ones I have ever known done in situ are feet (smaller machine and easier to keep the affected part still). Most castrations are very simple, the site has good natural drainage and the relevant tissue is easy to find, especially if the horse is standing and gravity plays a part.
 
I've heard of lots of xrays being done at home, and not just for feet. There are portable xray machines.
I feel it's more for the vets conscience.
Also a lot less risk of a horse bleeding with a xray!
 
selinas spirit said:
I've heard of lots of xrays being done at home, and not just for feet. There are portable xray machines.
I feel it's more for the vets conscience.
Also a lot less risk of a horse bleeding with a xray!
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I agree that many vets are seemingly not capable of doing even simple procedures in a yard-even a yard with good facilities (ie dry, clean horse, level yard to trot up in, undercover bit for xrays) The cynic in me thinks they want the hospital fees but if they are at the practice they can at least get the image they want/need without going back.

I am lucky, I have a big private equine hospital nearby that happens to have good horse vets capable of doing foot x-rays, standing castrates and stitch ups at yards but my old practice was a university one where seemingly they could only do routine teeth and jags. Of course, they are then teaching students to refer everything to a hospital..
 
The muscle twitching and tremors that Immobilon causes are certainly unappealing to see. And there is that strange fence-walking behaviour that can occur as the drug is "re-cycled". Thankfully there are better alternatives these days.
 
Waiting for the surgeon to arrive for the big op! Cardinal is blissfully unaware and snoozing in his stable.....wish us luck!!
 
My colt was done using Immobilon by the vet I worked for. The colt was two, only one testicle had dropped and we could not wait any longer. He was done at home and the vet managed to get the second testicle out as it was reachable without major surgery. I only realised later how scary the whole thing was. My vet was an old-fashioned one man band and probably would have made a good wildlife vet. He also let me pay with my work. Amazing man.

PS. Cross posted. Good luck!
 
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