Equine hernia

Equine Hernia

A hernia is one of many afflictions that can affect foals during birth. There are two types of hernia that a foal can suffer from, both of which may go by unnoticed until they have grown a bit more. They are caused by some type of defect in the wall of the abdomen, either affecting the umbilical area or the inguinal canal -- a passage in the anterior abdominal wall. This is a congenital defect, one that should be repaired as soon as possible, as it poses a host of health problems for the horse.

Symptoms and Types

Umbilical Hernia
Appears during first six weeks of life
A rotund swelling in the abdominal area
Ring felt underneath the skin

Inguinal Hernia
Enlarged or weakened inguinal ring
Swelling in the inguinal area and, in males, near the scrotum
As time passes, the swelling will become larger

An umbilical hernia occurs when the muscles around the foal's navel fail to close at birth. The hernia may be the result of trauma or it may be hereditary. The umbilical hernia manifests itself as a bulge where the umbilical cord was or is attached. The swelling is tissue that envelops the internal organs, but may also contain part of the intestine.


Causes

Umbilical hernias are due to a congenital birth defect. This defect can cause an abscess to form in the horse's umbilical cord or weaken its abdominal wall, both of which can cause a hernia. Inguinal hernias, on the other hand, are a result of an increased pressure in the abdomen due to a difficult birthing and/or an enlarged inguinal ring -- found at the entrance and the exit of the inguinal canal.


Prevention

Careful treatment of the umbilical area during and after the birth of the foal may help prevent umbilical hernias. Allowing the umbilical cord to break naturally when the foal is born is important. The cord should never be pulled on. If it does not break on its own, the handler or veterinarian will usually find the natural indentation, approximately two inches from the abdomen, grasp the cord on each side of the indentation, and twist it until it breaks apart. The cord usually breaks easily when twisted.

Treatment

Inguinal and umbilical hernias must be treated differently. In addition, inguinal hernias are more urgent than umbilical hernias, as umbilical hernias generally regress after the first few weeks, but inguinal hernias only get larger and more serious.

Surgery is required to treat an inguinal hernia; there is no other method of treatment that has been found to be as effective. Conversely, umbilical hernias are generally left to heal on their own, most going away within the first year. If the umbilical hernia is larger, elastrator rings -- a tool used to dilate an area -- may be used. However, because it may trap the horse's abdominal contents within the abdomen, it should only be attempted by a veterinarian.

procedure is high, but a veterinarian should explain the risks involved.