Owner Factsheets

Cushing's Disease

Standing Colt castrations

Colt Castration Post-Op Directions

Information Sheet - Castration

• Reduces masculine behaviour – the horse becomes more docile and manageable.
• If castration is performed before secondary sexual characteristics develop, the result is a smaller neck girth and the horse achieves a greater height
  

• 1 to 2 years of age.
• Reasons for delaying castration – until masculine appearance has developed or until evident horse is unsuitable for breeding.
  

• At least a few days before visit.
• Please advise us if there is anything else that needs to be done during the visit, for example vaccinations of other horses.
  

• If the colt is insured, contact your insurance company and advise them of the surgery.
• If the stallion is coming into the surgery for a full general anaesthetic, please have the shoes removed.
  

• A general physical examination will be completed, to ensure that the colt is healthy and will be able to cope with the sedation and surgery.
• The scrotum with be felt for any abnormalities (for example, inguinal herniation) and the presence of both testicles. An abnormality or the absence of one or both testicles (cryptorchid colt) may affect the choice of anaesthesia and surgical approach chosen by the vet.
  

• If the colt has not been vaccinated against tetanus, then a tetanus antitoxin injection is given under the skin at the time of surgery.

• Standing castration
  • Less expensive.
  • Can be performed on your property (normally in a stable), so no transportation to the clinic is required.
  • Requires less time.
  • The risks associated with a general anaesthetic are avoided.
    

• Recumbent castration
  • Usually requires the colt to be transported to the clinic.
  • Is necessary if there is an abnormality such as the colt being a cryptorchid (rig) and in animals over 3 years old

Standing Castration Post-operative Care Information

• Excessive bleeding in the first few hours after surgery.
• Anything hanging out of wound site that does not look like a blood clot (piece of gut or fatty looking tissue).
• There will be some swelling around the wound and sheath, this will be greatest 5 days after the surgery. If after 5 days the swelling does not decrease, or at any time moves up the hindlegs towards the tail base please contact the clinic.
• If infection does occur, it will be evident most likely 7-10 days after the surgery. Signs to watch out for include – generally off colour, stiffness, high temperature, off feed.
  

• Excessive haemorrhage – blood dripping should stop within 30-60 minutes.
• Excessive local swelling – exercise is important to promote drainage.
• Local infection – watch for stiffness, off feed, not right in himself.
• Scirrhous cord – results from infection ascending the spermatic cord, look for local swelling and a pus discharge from the wound.
• Eventration – small intestine descending through the inguinal canal and out of the scrotum – usually occurs immediately after or within a few hours of surgery or in rare cases may occur several days later.