After having a horse gelded

[Ferin]

Our mini colt was just gelded yesterday and everything went fine. Our vet told us to rinse his incision out for 15 minutes, then exercise him for 30 minutes, and then rinse it out again for 15 minutes twice a day for 6 days. I was wondering if after you have had colts/stallions gelded if you were told to do all this? If not what did you do?

We were also told to leave him out 24/7 but that wont work. Stetson loves his stall at night. We're going to put him in later then normal and then turn him out earlier instead of leaving him out all night.

Thanks!

 

[txminipinto]

Yes, the hydrotherapy is to promote granulation tissue to form to close the incision from the inside out (this prevents bacteria from being trapped in the incision, festuring, and abscessing out). Just spray the outside of the incision, not the inside as you do not want to dislodge any blood clots.

And yes, you want them to move around as much as possible during the healing process to prevent soreness and swelling. A stalled horse is an inactive horse.

 

[lyn_j]

[SIZE=14pt]Ferin, When we had Lucky gelded last spring, I washed off his wound with a betadine scrub twice a day for the first two days. We let him out in the round pen durring the day and then put him to bed at night.... by the 3rd day the scabs would no longer slough off when cleaned and by the 5th day the scabs had fallen off. No swelling and no problems . Im sure that was because he wa sa young, 3 month old colt. Howie was 7 months but he had about the same recovery. Hershee was 5 years old when we had him done and he needed all the protocol that your vet suggested. I think you will be pleasantly surprised how quickly little Stetson will heal![/SIZE]

Lyn

 

[minimomNC]

We were told completely different. I have had several gelded and our vet says to not hose the area. To keep them up for 24 hours and then forced exercise after that. Well after being in a stall for 24 hours we didn't have to force the exercise, we just put them out with someone else, they ran, played, bucked, the whole works. Never had one to swell but minimal amounts and never had any infections. Horses never went off feed and two are happy and health in new homes, the other two I had done are happy and healthy in my barn.

Different strokes for different folks I guess.

 

[Wally]

We just turn them out and just keep an eye on the wound. It is too cold here to be bothered by flies much, summer or winter.

 

[countryrose]

I just had a 2 and 3 year old gelded in October. Our vet also requested that we not hose them down. The exercise was more important.

I babied them for first two days and locked them in at night. Found out they were better off with stall open to the paddock so they kept moving longer plus forced movement by me two times a day per my vet.

Swelling was much less with access to the paddock and healed in no time at all.

Every vet has their own ideas. Just check them regularly and exercise as much as possible.

 

[chandab]

It's amazing how different vets are about this...

I've had two full-size colts gelded here each the spring of their yearling year. My vet advised turning them back out with their herd mates for exercise, if not possible then to hand walk at least twice a day. First colt all was fine. Second colt had a more involved proceedure and we had a freak snow storm late in the spring that forced me to put him up in the barn for his recovery. I hand walked him twice a day to the mail box and back (1/2 mile each way) for at least 4 days while we waited for the snow to melt, then put him back out. Neither had any noticeable swelling, so neither were hosed down or anything extra.

 

[Hosscrazy]

My vet also told me not to hose out the area, and to allow him free access to turn out. He also recommended that I hand walk (not lunge) him. The logic behind this was, if I were a guy and had this surgery done, would I want to run around in circles?

I followed the vet's advice and had no problems.

Liz R.

 

[whitney]

I've had my share of horses gelded, and learned the hard way. Exercise is VERY important. You want the cut to heal from the inside out. If the opening heals to quickly it traps the fluid and does not allow it to drain thus causing infection. 24/7 turn out is the best and a frisky gelding/stallion buddy is even better.

I kept Dusty in a stall with outside access 24/7 and he healed in 4 or 5 days.

 

[Marty]

I can't believe that vets would disagree on after care on this one.

You hose the incision area and kept it clean, not inside of course as mentioned but hose the sheath to keep swelling down. If you don't, you will get swelling making it difficult and painful for the horse to urinate. If you cannot hose then sponge it off several times a day.

You do have to keep the horse outside moving. That will allow drainage to happen and that is what you want. You do not need any form of forced exercise unless the horse refuses to move along. You know for those of us that have had any surgery done that sometimes we think we can't move, but are encouraged to? Same basic prinicpal here. If he thinks he can't move, that is when you have to move him and walk him around but don't lock him up. If you stall him at night, try to leave the stall door open if possible so he can continue to move, otherwise you will interupt the drainage process and he will be swelled up by morning.

 

[Frankie]

Wellllllllllllll, I was a big chicken.

Sent mine to a friends to watch over him and help.

So my after care, was to call her and ask how he was doing. :bgrin

Sorry, no help.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

Nothing. Zilch. Nada. I do not hose- have not done so for years. I do put some would powder on if there are flies around, and I do keep an eye on it, but that is it. I never force exercise, I leave therm alone. Horses grazing will have to move from spot to spot top graze, so they are constantly moving anyway. If the horse is standing still all the time then you need the Vet as there is something wrong. My Vet does not give routine antibiotics, but he does give pain relief for as long as I want, really, the nursing is left top me, he is just the "Doctor"

I really do agree with Marty's feelings, though, I wish Vets would make up their minds.

Not that it would greatly alter my approach, I have to say, as, in the last 45 years I have probably seen more colts gelded and nursed them through it than my (very good) Vet has had hot dinners.

Basically, you must go with what you feel is best on this one.

If you do not like the idea of going against your Vet, do what he says, it won't do any harm.

I think all this prodding and wiping and chasing around is counter productive, myself.

If you are really in a quandary - ring another Vet and ask for their after care routine.

 

[justaboutgeese]

Actually two hours after they were gelded they were back out on pasture. He (they ) were checked several times a day ( Hey watch whet you are doing back there !!) but all survived well. My vet advised that once the drugs had worn off just mild exercise hence the pasture.

 

[Kathy2m]

My vet prefers hosing twice a day, if they dont run and play they must be exercised 15 min. twice a day, another vet where I worked, they cut in the fall, when they were in training, hosing twice a day and worked U/S.

 

[RENMACMINIS]

I have had 2 big horses done. My Vet just says turn them out and let them be horses the best for them is excersize and thats what we did. They had no swelling and no problems with infection.

 

[bob r]

in 15 years i don't think we have washed more than 2 after being gelded, but we geld most of them at 2-3 mo. old also, that may make a difference. they do need excercise.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

Yes, I agree the younger the better, and by exercise I mean what they are willing to do, not what someone makes them do. If they do not exercise naturally then you either have a problem with infection or the painkillers are not at the right level!!

I have had a seven year old working stallion gelded who never looked back- turned out once he had fully recovered from the anaesthetic, never hosed, never wiped, never even dusted as he was fine. The exercise he gave himself grazing was plenty.

 

[nootka]

I have had three boys gelded and my vet did all three, one was surgical (monorchid).

The vet kept one of them for three days (the regularly gelded one), and the surgical case for a week, so I didn't have them immediately after, but on both of those, he told me exercise was important as long as it wasn't in splashy mud or anything, and my "normal" case (Mouse), here on my farm, was done in a clean stall, but then he was let out to play as soon as he was standing and feeling alright, and no hosing ordered, just free exercise.

All three healed very well, with the surgical gelding taking the longest to recover 100% (he was 4).

Liz M.

 

[Minimor]

We too have never hosed; our horses are turned out with their buddies & generally exercise enough on their own. We've never had much problem with swelling; a couple of times I've had to walk the horse just to make him move a bit more, but in most cases, regardless if the horses are weanlings, yearlings, 3 year olds or the one 7 year old we had done, they do move around enough on their own to keep things draining.

The only exception was a two year old Morgan we got; he'd been starved before we got him, & even once we got him into good physical shape he just had no life or energy at all. We got him gelded, & he'd just stand around--it wasn't that he was swollen or sore, he just had no interest in moving, then of course when he stood around long enough he would swell up. We walked him daily for 2 weeks before he healed up.

 

[slaneyrose]

Have you had many problems with geldings still being stalliony?? and how long does it take for the interest in mares and fighting other stallions last???