A 3-year-old goat was presented to the clinic with a massive ventral abdomi¬nal swelling proximal to the udder. The goat almost could not bear her weight on her pelvic limbs. Palpation revealed the presence of a her¬nial ring at the muscles of the ventral abdominal wall. The hernial ring was about 20 cm in length and 10 cm in width. The diagnosis was ventral abdom¬inal hernia at the level of the udder.
Operation was performed under the influence of local infiltration anaesthesia after tranquillization of the animal with Rompun® at a dose rate of 0.2 mg/kg body weight. A cutaneous incision, 20 cm in length, was performed at the base of the swelling, at 5 cm distance from the ventral abdominal wall. The lateral suspensory ligament of the udder was severed. Attempts to separate the inner peritoneal hernial sac from the skin was failed. Open reduction was car¬ried out and the hernial contents were reduced. The hernial ring was closed with inverted mattress sutures using chromic catgut. The suspensory ligament was sutured with interrupted catgut stitches and the skin was coapted with an interrupted mattress silk suture after application of a drain. Recovery was uneventful.