1. Umbilical:
· An umbilical hernia when the hole in the abdomen where the umbilical cord is attached in the womb does not close down properly. The skin heals over but leaves a hole in the abdominal muscle. This allows fat and potentially gut to poke through as a lump under the skin. This occurs more commonly in dogs than in cats.
· If a significant size hole is present (big enough to fit your little finger through) then surgery is needed as soon as your pet is old enough to handle an anaesthetic (6 weeks at the youngest). If it is a small hole then it can be fixed when your pet is desexed.
· The surgery is a fairly quick procedure (less than 20mins) but does require a general anaesthetic. An incision is made in the skin over the hernia, then the edges of the hole are trimmed and sutured closed. The subcutaneous tissues under the skin are closed next then the skin last of all. The skin sutures may be external requiring removal 10-14 days later or they may be buried and will dissolve themselves.
2. Inguinal:
· An inguinal hernia occurs when there is a hole in between the muscles of the groin leading to fat and other abdominal contents being able to poke through. This can be a dangerous condition when intestines become stuck between the muscle layers. Thankfully this is not a common problem but when it occurs in pups and kittens it needs to be fixed straight away.
· Surgery requires a general anaesthetic and involves an incision over the hernia then the muscle layer is sutured closed. The subcutaneous tissues under the skin are closed then finally the skin is closed with either external sutures that need to be removed 10-14 days later or buried sutures which dissolve themselves.
Wounds: 1. Dog fight wounds:
· This is a common problem in suburbia when dogs are out for a walk or when a strange dog comes onto your property. Dog fight wounds can be quite severe and infection is of major concern.
· If the dog fight is serious, especially when a small dog or cat is attacked by a larger dog or if there is a lot of bleeding, then the animal may go into shock which requires immediate medical treatment. A drip is started to support the animal’s blood pressure and circulation, medication is given to help the animal deal with the shock. Sometimes oxygen is given to help the animal breathe. The pet’s condition is stabilized before the wounds are attended to.
· Minor wounds will often just need cleaning with disinfectant and the animal started on a course of broad-spectrum antibiotics which will run for a week or so.
· Wounds with significant damage under the skin will need surgery. Often a small hole in the skin which looks quite minor can have a lot of damage under the skin. A dog’s tooth can penetrate the skin then lift the skin off the underlying tissues causing a large cavity.
· Surgery on this type of wound can be quite extensive where the skin is opened up and any damaged tissue removed, then a rubber drain is placed and the skin closed with external sutures. The drains will need to be flushed daily until they are removed after 3-4 days then the holes will need to be kept clean. The sutures will come out 10-14 days after surgery.
· A course of antibiotics is also necessary for wounds which require surgery.
2. Cat fight wounds:
· Cats will often fight for territorial reasons or when a female cat is in season. Even female cats can be territorial. Most cat fights occur at nighttime so it is important to try to keep cats in at night to prevent this.
· Often cat fight wounds aren’t noticed until a swelling occurs somewhere on the cat’s body, often around the head and neck or around the top of the tail. This swelling is usually filled with pus (called and abscess) and can be quite painful, sometimes causing the cat to be off their food, quiet and possibly limping. If the wound occurs where there is quite a lot of muscle, for example along the cat’s back, then there can be a lot of pain and the cat may scream when you try to pick it up.
· Any of these symptoms require a trip to the Vet. An abscess will usually require surgery where a hole is made in the skin and the pus is drained out and the hole flushed to clean it. A rubber tube is then placed through the skin into the abscess cavity to allow any more pus to drain out over the next few days. This requires a general anaesthetic or deep sedation. For wounds that don’t have an abscess, cleaning is all that is needed. All cats with cat fight wounds are put on a course of broad-spectrum antibiotics.
3. Wounds from road traffic accidents (RTAs):
· Dogs and cats are commonly hit by cars requiring veterinary attention. Wounds from RTAs are complicated by the fact that these injuries are high impact and the full extent of the damage is often not seen straight away as more tissue can die off for several days after a graze along the road. The wounds are also usually quite dirty, sometimes with gravel embedded in them.
· First patients are assessed for any evidence of shock which is dealt with before wounds are attended to. Once the animal is stable the bones and joints are assessed for fractures or ligament damage. Xrays may need to be taken to confirm the presence of fractures or to investigate the severity or type of fracture present. Also chest xrays may be needed to assess any possible lung damage.
· Next any skin wounds are cleaned and assessed to see whether surgery is needed. Often there is ragged skin at the edges of skin wounds due to damage from rubbing along the tar. This often needs to be trimmed off under general anaesthetic and as much skin as possible sutured back together. It is sometimes not possible to suture the skin completely as there is too much skin lost from damage. These wounds are left to heal as an open wound. The limbs may need to be bandaged after the wounds are dressed. Sometimes a splint is put on to aid skin healing by keeping the leg still. Bandages and dressings may need to be changed every 1-2 days initially the less frequently as healing occurs.
· Antibiotics are essential in the recovery from an RTA, as is pain relief and anti-inflammatory medication.
· It is often a long and very expensive recovery time with nursing care needed, especially in the beginning couple of weeks. This is compounded by the presence of fractures which may or may not need surgery of their own.
· For wounds where there is loss of quite a lot of skin several surgeries may be needed and occasionally skin grafts to close those which don’t have enough skin left to close by themselves.
4. Wounds from fence wire, glass and other objects:
· These wounds are generally open and tend to bleed quite a lot. For this reason stitching is usually recommended. The sooner veterinary attention is sought the better, to ward off infection and minimize bleeding.
· Surgery to stitch the wound is done under general anaesthetic. If there is a lot of bleeding intravenous fluids (a drip) will be needed to replace the lost blood.
· A course of antibiotic will be needed and sometimes a drain is placed in the skin if there is a cavity beneath the wound (formed when the skin is lifted off the underlying tissue).