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shellybabe_gw

problems with goat abcess HELP!!

20 years ago

A little while back I posted about an abcess on my goat. I got some help, we thought it was a splinter, however after several weeks of squeezing it every other day and using drawing ointments etc. It was still very angry looking. And a little larger than a walnut. Yesterday while I was lancing it, it also erupted on the top side. After removing the puss from inside I removed the dead skin where it erupted and flushed it out with peroxide until it fizzed no more. I then sutured the top opening closed with two stitches. I left the bottom opening open, for drainage. Now here's the problem. I cannot get the vet in our area to answer my calls. and my book doesn't give the after care for it. The abcess was full again of clear liquid and the white puss all over again six hours after lancing.

Question 1 Is this normal??

Question 2 I heard from a neighbor that she has had this problem before and removed the skin from the abcess, and used an ointment to cover the rawness, and let the animal grow new skin to cover it and the infection went away, is this ok to do??

I know that you guys are not vets, just wanted to know if any have had any similiar experience and what you did. Since my vet is unresponsive, and too far away to go see. She is a good goat, but is also one that if we lose her it won't be a big deal either. Just would rather not lose her.

Comments (11)

  • 20 years ago

    Hi Shellybabe. Try goat 911 on the internet there is always someone listed to help you. It was a valuable resource for me one weekend when my vet was away and the one on call was a pill. You could be dealing with Cl and it is highly contagious after it has erupted. Hopefully you can keep her seperated and sanitize everything she has been in contact with. Particularily in your communal pens. I would spray iodine into the wound as often as you can manage till you get some help. If it is Cl my vet recommends putting her down. try referencing abcesses on the net! Sorry I can't help more. Good luck. Goatgirl

  • 20 years ago

    GO to a feed store or on line at pro-vet, and get you some mastitis ointment. It comes in tube with a plunger, put the tip up into the hole and squirt it up in the wound. Make sure that you keep any scabs from forming over the hole to keep it draining. I would do the ointment for 3-4 days, you should notice a diff. pretty quick, the MO is pretty good stuff.

  • 20 years ago

    boopster

    even if the wound isn't on her teat?? It is on her neck area

  • 20 years ago

    LOL, Yes, the mastitis ointment has a really good antbiotic in it. We use it for puncture wounds and abcesses all the time on horses. I always keep some on hand. I think the one we get is call Good day...or something like that.

  • 20 years ago

    Sound like caseous lymphadenitis (CL ) to me too. Was she a newly aquired goat? I sure hope that you had quarentined her or you may have a whole herdful of it. Easily spread by that draining puss. I'd get your vet out ASAP.

    Here is a link that might be useful: CL herbal remedies

  • 20 years ago

    CLA is not a disease to be trifled with. We had one ram with the disease 23 years ago. In spite of agressive treatment, including vaccination and immediate culling of any suspicious animal, we have not been able to erradictate it

    If the goat has CLA, you should not only isolate it from the rest of the herd, but you should ship it to the butcher immediately. CLA can spread to the internal organs, as well as cause lumps on the skin. There are a tests for the disease, but most of them are not very good. We no longer test, but jst ship any animal with lumps in the neck area.

    Once she is gone, wipe down ALL areas she may have rubbed with dilute bleach.

  • 20 years ago

    I don't know anything about goats, but yes, mastitis ointment is good to squirt into wounds. The one we use is called Cefa-lak. I have also had success squirting straight Procain Penicillin into wounds. Also, you could cover the boil with Ichthammol--it is a drawing salve and should be found at any animal supply/feed store.

    I don't know what CL is, but sounds like a serious problem. Make sure you wear gloves when you treat the wound to prevent cross-contamination!

  • 20 years ago

    ya know, the more I think about this, I'd highly recommend getting her tested and if it is positive cull her. That puss you are describing is what is highly contagious.
    I've always been a firm beleiver in seperating all new comers for reasons like this.
    How are things going with her now??

  • 20 years ago

    i have been checking her twice daily,
    She is alot better, the lump has quit oozing, and is healing well now, I guess it was the after opp. swelling and such. I contacted goat 911 and the color of the puss was wrong for CL. she is isolated and doing alot better, I do wash down everything often and disenfect. thank you all for your help.

  • 20 years ago

    Hi Shellybabe: Glad to hear your girl is doing better. I have included a link for Cl. There is a huge discrepancy in descriptions of the pus colour. I had a goat last spring that we culled after having her abcess tested. The liquid the vet asperated from it was white yeasty like. She tested positive at 99% some odd percent for Cl. We culled her immediately and disposed of the carcass immediately. We did not ship or sell her, in order to prevent someone else from having this problem. Hopefully we're all wrong but there is still a good chance we're not. Watch for it to crop up in the same goat again as well as others. We are currently 10 months without a reoccurance. I think this is because her abcess never erupted. The farm we purchased her from did not tell the truth about their herd health status. We keep a closed herd now for this reason. I really hope your girl is ok. Goatgirl.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Cl Link

  • 20 years ago

    We purchased her in August, and only after thouroughly examining her and the rest of the herd. She was very skinny, and still is, but she had a beautiful white buck, and we didn't even know she was preggo!
    None of the other goats in the herd, and we have bought four from the same herd, have the lumps. If I did the picture right you can plainly see the lump. It is now the size of the end of my pinkie finger. and no longer drainign, but I am still dousing it w/iodine and keeping her seperate. While draining it, there was also what felt like a growth on her jaw bone, I felt of it with my gloved finger up inside the lump. It was very hard and bumpy and dark in color. I lanced it open far enough to see I got everything out.
    I will check out the links, We don't know if we are going to try to keep her or just put her down yet. Will see how things go.
    Okay I can't figure out the picture thing yet. sorry