Uncomplicated (simple) umbilical hernia in crossbred dairy calves: management with or without surgery M.R. Fazili 1† , B.A. Buchoo 2 , H.K. Bhattacharyya 3 and Imran Khan 4 Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir (SKUAST-K), Shuhama, Srinagar-190 006 (J&K) 1 Associate Professor cum Senior Scientist (Surgery); 2 Professor cum Chief Scientist (Surgery); 3 Assistant Professor cum Junior Scientist (Gynaecology), Faculty of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry; 4 Assistant Professor cum Junior Scientist (Statistics), Faculty of Fisheries Received: September, 2012 Indian J. Vet. Surg. 34(2): 111-114, December 2013 ij vs † Corresponding author; E-mail: fazili_mr@yahoo.co.in Forty crossbred (32 Jersey and eight Holstein Frisian) comprising of 23 male and 17 female calves born without assistance from pleuriparous cows as single births suffering from simple (uncomplicated) umbilical hernia during first three months of their life with ring size 2.0 to 5.0 centimeters (cm) were randomly divided into two equal groups. They were managed either with non-surgical belly bandage or standard herniorrhaphy (under sedation along with local infiltration anaesthesia). The long term success rate of 26 calves (13 from each group) was 61.50% and 84.60%, respectively. Although ignificant (P<0.05) difference was not noticed in the outcome of the two groups, yet the belly bandage technique was more economical and field applicable. It did not expose the animals to major surgery, and associated complications. This technique may therefore be recommended as the first line of management for umbilical hernia in neonatal calves with a ring size up to 5.0 cm. Key words: Belly bandage, Calves, Herniorrhaphy, Umbilical Hernia. U mbilical hernia is the most common congenital surgical disease in calves (Mulon and Desrochers, 2005; Baird, 2008) with an incidence of 0.65% to 1.80% (Hayes, 1974; Priester et al. 1970; Herrmann et al., 2001). Open herniorrhaphy is the most common and the surest way of treatment for umbilical hernias in veterinary practice (O’ Connor, 1982). Despite its common use, open method of herniorrhaphy has many demerits (Sutradhar et al., 2009). Economic costs for this procedure include the costs of medical and surgical treatment and the loss in value for breeding animals (Steenholdt and Hernandez, 2004). Risks of anaesthesia and stress of major surgery especially in immunologically underdeveloped subjects are also important. There are anecdotal reports of success in treating simple umbilical hernias in a few calves by applying a circumferential abdominal bandage (Anderson, 1976; O’Connor, 1982). The idea is that by keeping the herniated contents reduced within the abdomen, the hernial ring will close. Due to several potential advantages, it appears necessary to evaluate the efficacy of this conservative, non- invasive, cheap and field applicable technique in managing more number of such animals and compare its results with that of standard herniorrhaphy. Materials and Methods Forty crossbred dairy calves (23 male, 17 female) presented for treatment of simple umbilical hernia up to three months of age were included in this study. After recording brief clinical history of the case, diagnosis was based on physical appearance (Fig. 1) and palpation of the defect in umbilical orifice. Calves with a hernial ring diameter between 2.0 and 5.0 centimeters (cm) only were included in the study. Those suffering simultaneously from additional disorders at umbilicus or any other location whether congenital or acquired were excluded. Routine haemato- biochemical (haemoglobin Hb, packed cell volume PCV, total leukocyte count TLC and total plasma protein TPP) evaluation was performed and the calves were then randomly (irrespective of sex, age and breed) assigned to either non-surgical or surgical group. In the non-surgical group, after pushing back the hernial contents, a supportive circumferential abdominal bandage was applied snuggly around the belly (Fig. 2) following the technique described earlier (Anderson, 1976). In male animals care was taken to exclude the prepucial orifice from the bandage to ensure normal urination. The owners were advised to ensure the bandage over the hernia ring and release it for a while after every fortnight (to ascertain the status of the hernia). In thos cases wherein the when hernia ring had reduced to 1.0 cm in diameter the bandage was removed. The calves of the surgical group were sedated