Hernias in foals

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CSYMolly

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My little girl has developed a hernia. She didn't have anything abnormal when she was vetted at a month old but it has popped out since and she now needs an op. The vet said the op is best or if the insurance won't cover it then they can just put a band on it. Has anyone had any experience of either of these two treatments? I feel so bad she has to stay in for 4 weeks.
 
I had mine operated on when she was 7 1/2 months, it was big and was so worried it would strangulate as you could see the bowl going in and out of it. It put everyones mind at ease once the op was done. it healed really quick but she did stay on box rest for a month. coped really well tho. IMO go for the op! cost us £750 with 3 days away from home. not bad I thought.
 
Defo go on the advice of your vet my TB mare came down with colic she was 7 and was taken into leahurst, when they done the op on her not knowing what they would find vets origanall thoughts was twisted gut. They found she had a strangulated hernia and they had to remove 8ft of intistine sadly she never made a full recovery and had to be pts a few months later if the hernia had been caught sooner before it strangulated it would of been a big op but not a bad one. Dont run the risk of it strangulating. thats only my op you need to do what you feel is best. Hope all goes well
 
Depends on the size of the hole as much as anything, we have one that vet can get one finger through into abdomen. He says that as long as it stays the same and causes no trouble he will band it at 6 months, had it done before, and worked well.
 
Please don't waste your money on an operation (and the potential risks) if your vet is saying that if insurance won't cover, then do the band route. We've had foals with hernias and apart from one, the others have had bands put on them. They don't need to stay in at all, and the band and hernia will drop off after a short while. We've actually had one of ours had the band on this year, but unfortunately the band came off but not the hernia so she's being re-banded any time now. If medically there is no reason why she can't have the band on, then go for this, rather than an operation.
 
That is the only reason I was thinking of the banding, it sounds a lot less invasive and means she won't have to stay in. also a £900 difference in price. Her hernia isn't very big and was probably caused when she was kept in for a few weeks with a leg infection (blackthorn) and then went mad when she was let out so I don't really want to keep her in again. Unfortunately I have told the insurance company now but I guess I should tell them either way, just if I'm not going to claim it seems a shame if they slap an exlusion on.
Might speak to the vet again on monday and see what he says.
 
Unfortunatly in my case, my filly had too big a hernia to band otherwise we would have! So probably depends on the size of it. How many fingers can you fit in? Also can you see gut going in and out?
 
we had a foal born with a hernia a few years ago now, it was the size of a small football and he had to have surgery straight away, it was very sucessfull but was over £2000 final bill, we also had a filly born with a small hernia and she had a band put on, it eventualy died off and dropped off and there was no sign of it, but it was the same mare who bred both foals, so we thought it might heriditory so sold the mare for riding.
 
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