Banding-left a hole

[aggieterpkatie]

My buckling (now wether) was banded 7/13 and because his testicles were so big, my bander wouldn't fit and the vet had to bring out his large cattle bander, the kind that ratchets the band down. Things started out ok, but the past few days he's seemed very uncomfortable. I've been checking the wound every day, and spraying it with wound spray. Yesterday I got home and found his dried scrotum hanging by a dried spermatic cord coming from his body. :/ I had to hold the cord and pull the scrotum off. I flipped him over and saw there is a hole that never healed together. He's in pain and though I thought it would be infected there was no pus or discharge when I squeezed (squoze ) the area. I started him on penicillin. I've never seen a banding end up like this before. Never. :/

Should I try to flush it? I'm going to snip the spermatic cord off so it's not hanging out. Anyone dealt with this before? And I'm going to repeat it again, I will NEVER never never wait past 8 weeks to band ever again. What a headache!

 

[cmjust0]

I had one surgically castrated at the vet, and that was pretty much a hole.. It got rather nasty looking after a few days so he went on PenG and I think I probably blukoted it or something.. That was a long, long time ago, though..

But really, it just kinda seems to me that, at the end of the day, you're basically left to deal with a goat that's got a hole in him.. Goats with holes, I've dealt with more recently than that particular castration issue.. If here were mine, I'd probably splash some 7% iodine in the hole (yeah...that's gonna smart BAD) to flush and sterilize it, but also to dry it up, burn up any blood vessels, cords, and stuff like that which may still be wet...or, supple?...can't think of a good word, but basically I'd want that to be dry and crunchy -- not wet at all. That kind of wound, with that kind of access to the body cavity, is certainly not something you wanna leave wet.. :-S

Once he scabs over, he should eventually heal up...or so I would think.

I'd definitely also do some antibiotics, and maybe a day or two of banamine.

 

[aggieterpkatie]

I had one surgically castrated at the vet, and that was pretty much a hole.. It got rather nasty looking after a few days so he went on PenG and I think I probably blukoted it or something.. That was a long, long time ago, though..

But really, it just kinda seems to me that, at the end of the day, you're basically left to deal with a goat that's got a hole in him.. Goats with holes, I've dealt with more recently than that particular castration issue.. If here were mine, I'd probably splash some 7% iodine in the hole (yeah...that's gonna smart BAD) to flush and sterilize it, but also to dry it up, burn up any blood vessels, cords, and stuff like that which may still be wet...or, supple?...can't think of a good word, but basically I'd want that to be dry and crunchy -- not wet at all. That kind of wound, with that kind of access to the body cavity, is certainly not something you wanna leave wet.. :-S

Once he scabs over, he should eventually heal up...or so I would think.

I'd definitely also do some antibiotics, and maybe a day or two of banamine.

Yeah, I thought of the 7% iodine. Ouch. I did worry a bit about it going into his body though. That's why I was thinking maybe a flush with some betadine solution or something. I'm not sure it matters that much which stuff I use, but I don't have anyone at home to bounce ideas around on. Hubby isn't all that into the animals.

 

[cmjust0]

Yeah, I thought of the 7% iodine. Ouch. I did worry a bit about it going into his body though.

I had a buckling born last year that was headed towad a case of 'incomplete closure of the umbilical ring'.. Basically, having an outie belly button. Given the belly button's proximity to the weenis, I figured that would be a bad thing and I wanted to take care of it.. So, I called the vet..

The vet said they occasionally see that in calves, and what they do is load up a big syringe full of 7% iodine, push the syringe *into* the remaining cord, and push as much of it in there as they can.. I asked specifically about whether or not that would get into the body cavity and hurt anything, and what he said in a nutshell is...that's the point! He said the goal was to push the iodine up into the ends of the remaining blood vessels to burn them up, and also to cause some general irritation to the area so that it would swell the leaky stuff shut, dry things up down there, etc..

With my guy, his outie was advanced enough that it was beginning to heal up on the end, so I literally had to split it back open with a pocketknife and *then* shoot the 7% up in it as best I could. Admittedly, it wasn't pleasant for either of us, but hey...he dried up and he's got a normal goat bellybutton now.

Now, you'll note that I didn't say I'd *shoot* iodine up in your goat's castration wound -- I said splash. I wouldn't *think* that flushing it with 7% iodine would get so much in the body cavity that it would do any more damage than is basically necessary to dry it up and seal it off...but then again, I also said that's what I'd do **if he were mine**.. And that really is what I'd do.

I might then sit back and watch him writhe around in pain until he died because OMG YOU SHOULD NEVER DO THAT!...but I kinda doubt it. The writhe in pain part, possibly, but I'd say that would be about it.

But that's just me thinking. You should probably call a vet.

 

[PattySh]

Do you have any chlorahexidene? Mix with water as directed. Doesn't burn. Insert a syringe into the hole and flush twice a day til healed. Have used it for similar uses (bad mammary bite and gaping hole in a dog). Cleanses and lets the animal heal without harming tissue. Do trim that hanging cord which is a wick for bacteria.

 

[PattySh]

I might add I keep a skin stapler on hand for such wounds. I'd add a staple or two to keep the flys out. Found this great place online for cheap supplies and sharing it. www.shopmedvet.com/79 (79 is the new catalog)

 

[aggieterpkatie]

I don't really think it's stapleable (new word I just made up) Patty. I'll try to take some pictures tonight. I do think I'll go ahead and hit him up with the iodine though....it may be painful but he's already ouchy because of it.

 

[PattySh]

Hope he heals well, a few days and it might shrink right up. I have lots of animals which means lots of booboos lol, I have seen some yucky things heal real well.

Edited to add including castration of an older pony, huge leaking mess for a week or so but healed uneventful with antibiotics

 

[aggieterpkatie]

Well I didn't get a picture yesterday (kids and sports take up a lot of time!) but it looked a good bit better yesterday. I'll see if I can manage to get a picture in the next few days, but I feel hopeful it will heal up.