Only three kits - and one has "an issue"

[ColdBrook]

Poppy delivered three kits for her first litter. One has a big reddish ball around its navel - an umbilical hernia? It also looks bruised around its back legs and head unless it's going to be an odd color? All the others from this cross were solid colors. These are NZ/FG cross kits. It seems to be moving around fine. Do you think it will be alright? I'm wondering if I shouldn't cull it quickly, rebreed the doe right away for one more litter and figure out if she's worth keeping. Her mother and sister have 8 kits at a time. I was surprised to find only 3.

What do you all think?

 

[Kyle@theWintertime]

It looks more like this to me: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omphalocele

But of course I am no vet and can't know for sure. Even if it is just a hernia, it's a big one, and I would be very concerned about infections (since it is so red it looks like it doesn't have normal skin coverage) or pain. I would personally cull.

Rotten luck but at least the other two look okay, right?

 

[ColdBrook]

Thanks Kyle. That's what I'm leaning toward. It cannot be comfortable and like you pointed out, its skin doesn't seem very normal - like it's super thin. I cannot imagine it having much quality of life. The other two are fat and very healthy with no defects.

 

[amandainohio24]

As much as I hate to cull little ones, this one I would.

 

[ladysown]

I'd cull as well. Too hard to treat them this young.

 

[Kyle@theWintertime]

Thanks Kyle. That's what I'm leaning toward. It cannot be comfortable and like you pointed out, its skin doesn't seem very normal - like it's super thin. I cannot imagine it having much quality of life. The other two are fat and very healthy with no defects.

For what it's worth, I think this sort of issue just HAPPENS, I don't think it's genetic and I don't think it's a concern for future kits.