Navel infection, advice?

Actually, that IS a hernia, what you are describing. It really needed surgery to be corrected. If the owners chose not to do it, that's their choice, but it IS more than just a cosmetic flaw. I'm assuming it looked about like this:

Yeah kind of, i'm not sure they said it was fine because I had asked about it. What kind of problems would it cause? Especially after 12 years of life. Hmm now I am VERY curious lol

Thanks all!

I have been away for a few days because my little guy has been giving me fits and I just didn't feel like spending lots of time on the computer because I'm so tired!

Lilkitty90, thanks for taking the time to post the photos. I'm so glad your little guy healed up well!

Zane's infection seems under control, the stump has shrunk down really small on his belly and no more pus, but I am afraid he is one of those foals who leaks urine from his navel. That would probably explain why he had an abcess in the first place- there was urine leaking and the end of the stump was sealed off so it became an infection.

So it looks much better, but yesterday I noticed when he pees he has a few drops dripping from his navel at the same time.

Today I treated the navel in the morning (twice) with iodine and then in the evening I got frustrated and tried Wonder Dust, because it is supposed to be a drying agent.

I was reading in Blessed are the Broodmares that either silver nitrate (no one around here seems to have it) or iodine can cauterize the navel and seal it off.

Since it is only a slow drip I am hoping that is possible. This afternoon when he peed, I only saw a drop or two accumulate on the navel, but no actual dripping. I am hoping that is an improvement.

So is Wonder Dust okay for a navel, I wonder? Or should I stick with iodine?

I have two additional phone calls in with the vet "updating" him on Zane's condition, but he hasn't been inclined to call me back. So I feel like I am on my own over the weekend.

And to top it all off, Zane got through the pipe corral fence today while I was gone for a few hours, and a neighbor saw that he was in with one of my geldings. Isabelle, his momma, was very upset and has a scrape and a swelling on her shoulder to show for it. Zane seems fine, and apparently he and the gelding got along great, and neither one wanted to be caught so they ran around and gave my neighbor a hard time until she called another neighbor to help catch them. Sigh! At least I have great neighbors.

So I hope to report that the navel dries and seals off soon. Otherwise, I guess the only treatment is surgery, and if that's the case, I will probably have to haul him off to a far-away vet, and I really hope it doesn't come down to that. So I am hoping and praying that the "dripper" (urachus?) in his navel will seal off in the next few days. Reading my foaling books gave me some hope that it could happen if I am diligent with the iodine (or maybe Wonder Dust). And I think the slow drip probably explains the infection too.

PS. Any advice for sealing off a leaky navel?

I just love the little guy so much. I can't imagine loosing him.

I had a foal with a leaky navel some years back (its called patent urachus) but his was more than just a drip-- it streamed. He got a navel infection first and we were treating him for it, and then when the swelling went down he was peeing out of both places.

My vet came out daily and inserted a silver nitrate-tipped stick up into the umbilicus hole to cauterize it, form scarring, and speed up its closure. It hurt the baby and he hated it, but it only took a few days.

I am not sure if just a slow minor drip would need the silver nitrate-- it was painful and traumatic to the foal (we had to lay him down and hold him down while the vet inserted the stick) and had some risk.

Its too bad your vet is not more communicative with you, so you could know if he had experience with patent urachus closing up on its own with proper antibiotic treatment and time.

Eastowest, thank you for the information. I'm glad to hear that your foal, even with a more major leak, was able to be closed with the silver nitrate. I have been reading on the internet, and was afraid it could come down to surgery.

But, the good news is, the navel looks pretty darn dry today! And I did see him pee once with no leakage this morning. I think the Wonder Dust is helping dry it up. So I am going to diligently apply it several times a day until I think it is healed. So I really, really hope it continues to work.

My guy's navel is very painful too. I either have to catch him laying down napping, and then hold him down to treat the navel, or just spray or dab whatever treatment I am using on his belly and try not to get cow-kicked.

I handled and tried my best to imprint him right after birth, and touch him everywhere, but I think he will be sensitive about his belly for a long time after this. Because he acts like it hurts like heck, and I'm sure it does. But what can you do- the navel has to be treated so I do it anyway despite his protesting.

So I will keep you guys updated. I am so hoping for a cure. I love my little guy and an afraid the leaky navel will lead to a bad infection. Luckily he has antibiotics until Tuesday, so maybe I can get the navel healed up before then.

Take him into your vet if he can't get out there! Joint/naval ill is nothing to mess around with...your baby needs IV antibiotics and IV fluids in order to help the infection flush out of his system.

Oops, just noticed that he has urine coming out of his naval...I would just be extremely diligent with keeping it clean, and very watchful to how much urine continues to come out...if he stops, that's probably a good thing, but it could also mean there is more swelling that is just blocking the access, and more infection, and fluid could build up in his abdominal cavity, because there is no more 'outlit' for it. I would try to get ahold of another vet, just to be on the safe side...get a second opinion, and see what they have to say about the treatment and if there is more you can do, and if the WD is okay for it...

It sounds like it is doing better. But honestly I was keeping sparta's when it looked all swollen and such like the picture. I was keeping Iodine on it and 2 days later it was completely gone and raw. I think either him or snowflake (his mommy) ate it off. That is what made his so much easier to care for. Usually horses will take careo f the problem themselves. But I think sparta's was something different that your Zane has. I hope the best for him! As for his tummy being sensitive. Sparta's as well. But to make it easier when I got to him I would come several times. Sometimes just rub gently on his tummy and others to spray meds. That way he wouldn't associate everytime I came with getting meds on it. And he is perfectly desensitized now. If all else fails work extensively with his tummy after his naval has healed completely so he isn't ouchy about it.