Kira Stoletova
As the owner of a pet, you definitely need to know about the conditions of its keeping and about possible diseases. If you decide to get a little furry, and especially not one, but several, then you will have to familiarize yourself with the symptoms of even such a rare disease as a hernia in a rabbit. Being fully armed at any time is the best thing you can think of to preserve the health of the animal.
Types of hernias
This pathology can occur in different parts of the body, for example, a hernia is distinguished:
- brain;
- umbilical;
- inguinal
Brain herniation
In rabbits, such a pathology as a hernia of the brain often occurs. This requires an experienced doctor and complex treatment. First of all, the specialist will prescribe medications that enhance the nutrition of brain tissue and relieve swelling. For intense pain in the intervertebral discs, anti-inflammatory and painkillers, as well as ointments and creams, will be prescribed.
You should always contact a veterinarian as soon as possible, rather than trying to help the animal yourself.
Umbilical hernia
Rarely, but there are cases when an umbilical hernia occurs in rabbits. To treat it, an old, time-tested technique is used - massage of the sore spot with a smooth copper object. If you do this for a long time, a small hernia can completely resolve without surgery. When it comes to impressive sizes, the problem will not be solved without surgery. The procedure is simple and is carried out under local anesthesia by suturing the hole.
Inguinal hernia
A more serious pathology is an inguinal hernia, in which the bladder protrudes out. No one yet knows the exact reason for its occurrence, but it happens more often with adult males. Some scientists are inclined to believe that this is the result of castration, but the theory has not been confirmed, due to the fact that this disease is observed even in uncastrated rabbits, which means it is more reasonable to assume the hormonal origin of the disease.
Externally, this type of hernia is manifested by the formation of a soft lump in the groin area, which does not cause any discomfort or pain in the animal. The pet's behavior does not change. The danger is that there is a possibility of partial prolapse of the intestine and its pinching. This is fraught with death.
Chapter XVIII. DISEASES IN THE ABDOMINAL AND RECTAL AREA UMBILIAL HERNIA (HERNIA U1Y1BILICALIS)
An umbilical hernia is a protrusion of the peritoneum and the protrusion of the internal organs of the abdominal cavity (intestines, omentum, etc.) through the expanded umbilical ring. The disease is observed very often in piglets and puppies, less often in calves and foals.
Causes. Hernias can be congenital or acquired. The former occur in cases where an excessively wide umbilical opening remains unclosed after the birth of the animal, the latter - due to trauma to the abdominal wall (hits by a horn, a hoof, a fall, etc.). Acquired hernias are also possible after abdominal surgery, with excessive tension in the abdominal muscles as a result of increased intra-abdominal pressure (during childbirth, heavy work, severe tenesmus, etc.).
Pathogenesis. Congenital hernias develop as a result of untimely fusion of the umbilical ring in the postnatal period. The umbilical ring soon after birth (in piglets during the first month) becomes obliterated and overgrown with fibrous tissue. If this does not happen, then the young connective tissue covering the umbilical ring, under the influence of intra-abdominal pressure, stretches and gives rise to the formation of a hernia.
Rice. 108. Umbilical hernia in a piglet
The formation of acquired umbilical hernias is based on an imbalance between abdominal pressure and the resistance of the abdominal wall. Tension of the abdominal wall due to falls, blows, heavy work and severe tenesmus leads to an increase in intra-abdominal pressure. The latter contributes to the divergence of the edges of the hernial ring, protrusion of the peritoneum and viscera through the artificially formed hole.
Clinical signs. In a hernia, there is a hernial opening through which the internal organs emerge; g r s sac - protruded parietal peritoneum; hernial contents - omentum, intestinal loops, etc.
With the development of an umbilical hernia, a sharply limited, painless, soft swelling appears in the navel area, usually hemispherical in shape (Fig. 108). When auscultating the swelling, peristaltic bowel sounds are heard. With a reducible hernia, its contents are reduced into abdominal cavity, after which it is possible to palpate the edges of the hernial ring and determine its shape and size. An irreducible hernia does not decrease in volume due to pressure; its contents cannot be reduced into the abdominal cavity due to the presence of adhesions of the hernial sac with the hernial contents. Irreversible hernias can become strangulated. In these cases, the animal is initially very worried, and later it is depressed and refuses food. Along with this, there is a lack of bowel movements, increased body temperature, and a frequent and weak pulse. The swelling in the umbilical area becomes painful and tense.
At large umbilical hernias sometimes inflammation of the hernial sac is observed as a result of injuries, and when microbes penetrate into the area of the sac, abscesses form, tissue necrosis occurs, and skin ulcerations appear.
Rice. 107. Tracheotubes:
Forecast. For reducible hernias, the prognosis is favorable, for strangulated hernias with intestinal necrosis - from doubtful to unfavorable (especially in foals).
Treatment. Until recently, conservative and surgical treatment methods were used for umbilical hernias. Conservative methods include: bandages and bandages, rubbing irritating ointments into the hernia area, subcutaneous and intramuscular injections around the hernia ring with 95° alcohol, Lugolev solution or 10% sodium chloride solution in order to cause inflammation and closure of the hernial ring with newly formed scar tissue . All these methods are ineffective and are currently almost never used. Surgical treatment methods give good results. The technique of hernia repair (herpectomy) is presented in a laboratory and practical lesson.
When getting a long-eared pet, most people hope that proper care and feeding, the animal is not at risk of serious illness, much less surgical interventions. But it is better to be aware in advance that a hernia in a rabbit is by no means a rare phenomenon.
A little about rabbit diseases
Domestic rabbits get sick often. Their main feature is their susceptibility to disease.
They are also affected by multiple internal non-contagious diseases: metabolic disorders, poisoning, damage to the mucous membrane of the digestive tract by rough food, pathologies of the respiratory system, trauma, frostbite and others.
Pets are artificially bred, their ancestor is the European wild rabbit. During selection, in addition to the desired characteristics of the breed, undesirable characteristics (weak immunity and anatomical defects) always accumulate.
In fact, absolutely all animals get sick - both wild and domestic. In nature, no one monitors this and it is difficult to calculate plausible statistics. The number of sick wild animals is regulated by natural selection. At home, owners maintain the health of their pets and treat them if necessary.
Domestic rabbits were bred for domestic purposes to obtain meat and fur. The lifespan of such animals is also limited by economic considerations. If an animal gets sick, treatment is carried out when it is more economically profitable than ending its life.
Of course, hernias are not operated on in animals bred for meat or for their skins.
Decorative pets, favorites of the whole family, are a different matter. At the request of the owners, they can be provided with both surgical and conservative treatment. But the health of ornamental breeds is usually even more fragile compared to ordinary inhabitants of rabbit farms.
Types of hernias and causes of their occurrence
The occurrence of a hernia in decorative rabbit- a fairly common occurrence. There are the following types:
- umbilical;
- inguinal;
- post-traumatic (postoperative);
- intervertebral
- diaphragmatic.
The first two types are quite often observed in rabbits, the rest are less common. There is help for the first three types, but treatment of intervertebral and diaphragmatic hernia is an unlikely case.
A hernia in a rabbit occurs for the same reasons as in any mammal. The main reason is weakness of the connective tissue and muscle corset. Muscle weakness can be primary and occurs in the following situations:
- Crick;
- various injuries;
- deep abscesses and phlegmons affecting the muscle layer, which were treated by opening the inflammatory cavity;
- removal of tumors with subsequent formation of a scar in the muscle layer.
The cause of an umbilical hernia in rabbits is often infection or injury to the umbilical ring and the remnant of the umbilical cord in newborns, the formation of a wide ring.
The cause of inguinal hernia is sometimes castration of males.
Development of the disease
If there is a weak spot in the abdominal wall (a wide umbilical ring, muscle divergence, replacement of the muscle layer with scar), the omentum, and then the intestinal loops (in the case of an inguinal hernia, part of the bladder) from time to time begin to protrude under the integumentary tissue.
This is especially facilitated by an increase in intra-abdominal pressure, for example, due to intestinal overfilling, bloating with gases, as well as coughing due to bronchitis and pneumonia, to which long-eared pets are very susceptible.
Next, the formation of a hernial orifice occurs, that is, a formed permanent channel for the exit of increasingly voluminous fragments of internal organs under the skin. Often at this stage it is no longer possible to reduce the intestinal loops and omentum into the abdominal cavity, and the tumor-like formation under the skin becomes permanent.
For quite a long time, the disease does not cause the animal much discomfort. But at any moment, the released intestinal loops can get stuck in the hernial orifice and fold unnaturally. This is how pinching occurs - the intestinal loops are deprived of normal blood supply, and necrosis begins. At the same time, the movement of the food bolus through the intestines stops, i.e. obstruction develops.
The animal feels pain, becomes restless and, if no help is provided, dies from intoxication with necrosis products.
How to determine the disease
A hernia in a rabbit does not show symptoms for a very long time; the only way to notice it is to carefully examine the pet.
Observation, examination, palpation of the abdominal wall will help to notice trouble at an early stage.
Umbilical hernia(h. umbilicalis) - protrusion of the peritoneum and prolapse of part of the internal organs through the expanded umbilical ring under the skin.
Fixation.
Operation technique .
Before surgery, the animal is prescribed a 12-18 hour fasting diet.
If the hernia is strangulated, then the operation is performed urgently!
The hernial sac is cut in different ways. If it is a female and the hernial sac is not large, then the skin incision is made straight through the top of the hernial sac’s bottom along the linea alba of the abdomen; if it is large, a spindle-shaped incision is used, a flap of skin is prepared and removed.
In males, a month-shaped skin incision is made in front of the prepuce, with the convexity cephalad.
There are many ways to surgically treat umbilical hernias.
Gutman's method.
The skin of the hernial sac (with a small hernial ring) is cut and removed from the prolapsed peritoneum.
Then it is adjusted without cutting into the abdominal cavity.
Several interrupted sutures are placed on the hernial ring. Injection 1-1.5 cm from the edge of the hernial opening, puncture 0.5; on the opposite side, the injection from the hernial ring is 0.5, the puncture is 1-1.5 cm. Only the seromuscular layer is sutured, without penetrating into the abdominal cavity.
Excess skin is removed and knotted sutures are placed on the wound.
Goering-Sedamgrotsky method.
Used for hernias with a narrow hernial ring.
The prepared serous hernial sac is set through the hernial ring into the abdominal cavity, a suture is placed on the hernial ring so that the ligature passes through the edge of the hernial ring and the wall of the reduced empty serous hernial sac.
Pfeiffer method.
The serous hernial sac is inserted into the abdominal cavity and straightened over the hernial ring. It is then fixed with a knotted suture to the abdominal wall. To do this, under the control of a finger, the abdominal wall and peritoneum are pierced, retreating 2-2.5 cm from the hernial ring, then the end of the ligature is brought out through the hernial ring and tied near the injection site. Thus, the entire hernial ring is sutured in a circle (later it is covered with scar tissue).
Olivekov's method.
1 way.
It is carried out when the diameter of the hernial ring is no more than 2 cm. The prepared hernial sac is twisted and stitched with a long ligature, the ends of which are sutured through the opposite edges of the hernial ring, pulled together and tied (the hernial sac serves as a biological tampon).
Method 2.
Used when it is impossible to prepare the bottom of the hernial sac from the skin. They step back from the bottom of the hernial sac, where the sac is strongly fused with the skin, and make an oval skin incision. Then the hernial sac is removed from the skin, and the contents of the hernial sac are inserted into the abdominal cavity. The empty hernial sac near the hernial opening is fixed with intestinal sphincter and a long ligature is applied. Then the bottom of the hernial sac is cut off below the forceps and ligature. Continue as with the first method.
3 way.
Used for wide hernial rings. The empty prepared hernial sac is sutured several times with a long ligature. The edges of the hernial orifice are sutured with the ends of the ligatures, pulled together and tied, making sure that the abdominal organs do not get into the lumen of the hernial orifice.
Sapozhnikov's method.
The hernial contents are pushed into the abdominal cavity, and the prepared hernial sac is twisted 2-3 times, stitched with catgut and inserted into the hernial ring, the edges of which are connected with a knotted suture like Lambert. Knotted sutures are placed on the skin.
Application of alloplastic material according to I. I. Magda.
To close the hernial opening, a sieve made of a polymer biocompatible material is used (widely used in humane medicine). The prepared hernial sac is inserted into the abdominal cavity. A piece is cut out of alloplastic material so that it protrudes beyond the edges of the hernial orifice by 2-3 cm. It is sewn to the muscular layer of the abdominal wall near the hernial orifice with knotted sutures.
