Question about breeding a goat with a hernia

Jillis · #1 08/14/06, 10:38 AM

I have an Alpine/Nigerian Dwarf doe who is just beautiful. I would like to breed her, but she has an umbilical hernia that is about 2 inches wide. I spoke to the vet about having it repaired. She said she could do it, but that with ruminants the surgery often didn't work, and that hernias either reopen, or open further up the line next to the repair.

This doe is fairly large for a mini, and I have a very nice ND buck now, and she is responding to him through the fence quite a bit. It is very apparent that she is in heat.

What are the thoughts of any of you out there about breeding her? Would the hernia make it dangerous? If I could, I would love to have babies out of her. Repairing it would cost about $300.00. If I thought it would help, I might consider having it done...

Do any of you have experience with this situation? I believe the hernia was caused by an infected umbilicus that abcessed. The farm I got her from didn't dip the cords...

Jillis · #2 08/14/06, 11:05 PM

I am bumping this because I really need an answer...thanks in advance!

Shazza · #3 08/15/06, 12:31 AM

Some of my does have little hernias....and a lot of my Dexters have hernias too...I think it is quite common. Sorry not much help, but just letting you know it is common....I dont think I would ever op on a goat for one....and the only type that would interfere with breeding you would think would be a groinial (sp?) hernia.

Jillis · #4 08/15/06, 06:41 AM

Thank you so much for replying...the vet said that cows often breed with a 2 inch hernia but acknowledged that a 2 inch hernia was a different proposition on a mini-Alpine than on a large dairy cow...

Are the intestines situated so that the pressure of the uterus coudl cause one to push through the hernia and strangulate?

Or is the uterus right in front as in humans? The uterus is a very tough muscle.

Shazza · #5 08/15/06, 06:49 AM

Well....I also breed PUGS...and they can have a small hernia and still be able to breed successfully...they couldnt with a groinial hernia (reccommended desexing).

That would be a question for your Vet though....if the risks were too high then you will know what to do. Put it down to one of those learning things and purchase another doe.

Bunbun · #6 08/15/06, 09:44 AM

My aunt had her last years Quarter horse fole umbilica herniate she had it repaired but she had to leave the baby in the stall for 3months or more just so it wouldnt reherniate. I know it would probably difficult with such a lil goat have stall reast. but maybe it could be done my aunts fole is fine now. I just thought I would give some encourageing light. Good Luck with your little one.

Jillis · #7 08/15/06, 10:29 AM

Thank you, Bunbun, that was sweet of you to post!

By the way, your user name is what I call our little Netherland Dwarf bunny.

ozark_jewels · #8 08/15/06, 10:37 AM

I don't think I would chance a pregnancy as the stomach wall will be weaker in that area and it could rip during labour or just with the stress of pregnancy........

Just my thinking on it.

Idahoe · #9 08/15/06, 06:45 PM

To my knowlege, the uterus in goats rides in front of the intestines, so strangulation wouldn't be an issue. I think the worst that could happen (I'm just thinking hernias in general) is the hernia would enlarge during the pregnancy and be a problem for her later.

My daughter developed an umbilical hernia when she was a month or so old, and I thought I needed a "belly band" for her, but it turned out to be an old fashioned remedy NOT recommended. It went back in when she was a year old on its own, but it made me think about your goat . . . I wonder if a kind of abdominal truss -- not tight, but just support, like those lower back support things we humans wear -- fasten with velcro, and viola, you have support over the stressed area which would distribute the stress and not focus it where she is already weak.

I'm not a goat expert at all, so with a grain or two of salt, here.

Another thing about umbilical hernias . . . just the way the abdominal muscles are, it doesn't seem possible for it to "spread". Now an abdominal hernia is different, where the two sides of the "six pack" separate in humans due to multiple pregnancy or obesity. On a goat, I can understand your vet's reluctance to repair an abdominal hernia, but umbilical repair wouldn't "spread" as it would have nowhere to spread to, it would just re-open after a time, but in the same place. Perhaps a second opinion if you don't already have one?

Reread paragraph #3

. I've read this thread a couple of times and didn't respond, but impulse won out today.

Jillis · #10 08/15/06, 08:48 PM

Thanks, Idahoe, and also Emily...

**mygoat** · #11 08/15/06, 09:36 PM

Quality Llama supply sells hernia belts for crias... Maybe you could look into that and copy it maybe? its a good place and supposedly a vet designed it...

Quality Llama supply hernia belt

Jillis · #12 08/16/06, 06:44 AM

Thank you, Dona! I will also ask my neighbor who raises incredibly expensive and high-quality alpacas what he thinks of this. I know that alpacas and llamas usually have singletons, though...and Nigies usually have multiple births. The ND buck I have was one of quads. She is half Nigie. My son actually wants to take his own saved up money and have the repair done on her, that's how much he likes her.