Abcess causes in sheep/goats

[SteepedInSheep]

Your vet can draw blood and send it off for testing.

Ok, gotcha. I would rather do it myself then and spare the middle man expense.

 

[SteepedInSheep]

We feed hay in a round bale that's surrounded by a cattle panel. This is the second year we've fed them this way. I wonder if the abscesses are from that? Weird that we wouldn't have noticed any abscesses sooner but maybe that's the answer.

I should add that they only have access to this round Bale feeder in the winter. We were able to rotate them on pasture successfully all through the summer last year.

 

[Baymule]

Ok, gotcha. I would rather do it myself then and spare the middle man expense.

Kudos to you for knowing how to draw blood! That’s next on my list to learn!

 

[Mini Horses]

Yes a livestock vet "can" test but most send to a lab!
Often, a state vet lab...not a commercial one.

 

[SteepedInSheep]

Kudos to you for knowing how to draw blood! That’s next on my list to learn!

I actually don't know how yet but I'm going to learn! And if I'm having trouble I know my partner can handle it. He's not squeamish at all, which is so handy.

 

[SteepedInSheep]

Are CL abcesses typically full of white pus? I've seen it described as 'Cheesy' before. We cleaned out an abcess today and the pus was green.

 

[Mini Horses]

CL typically is thicker and white or just off white, no green. It is normally thick, similar to consistency of cream cheese or dry cottage cheese.

 

[SteepedInSheep]

CL typically is thicker and white or just off white, no green. It is normally thick, similar to consistency of cream cheese or dry cottage cheese.

Thanks. We're still getting testing done but I'm really hoping that we don't have it.

 

[Baymule]

I hope your sheep don’t have it too. Not every abscess is CL.

 

[Ridgetop]

Runnier green pus is not usuaLLY CL. There are several kinds of infections that result in abscesses. Testing is a good idea.