Buckling has abnormal horn after disbudding-Advice needed please!

willow_top_farm

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I need advice here. Little Freddy was disbudded by my breeder at 4 days old. Everything went fine. However, she mentioned the one of his horns had something different about it (I didn't pay close enough attention to remember now...) and she said she did a "figure 8 burn" to handle it. Now, Freddy is almost 6 weeks old, he and the other kids are having the scabs tear off and bleed on and off as they play and butt each other. However, one of his disbudded horn spots has gotten HUGE! I've felt all around the horn to see if it's warm to the touch to indicate infection, it's not. However, the area itself is somewhat tender as when I press on it, he wants to back away from me. It's been this way for a week or more. I keep watching it/him, but it's not changing or healing.

He's acting his normal self, eating well, frolicking, etc. I've not taken a temp due to a dead thermometer, but I'll borrow my neighbor's when she gets home. I'm a first timer with goats this year, so your advice/insight is greatly appreciated!

Here's a photo.


3796_freddy_head.jpg
 

Livinwright Farm

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I have not disbudded goats, and don't plan to with a horns intact herd, but IMO that doesn't look good. :/

I know some people will spray the area with Blu Kote to help fight off potential infections... perhaps you could get a bottle and spray some on there.
 

LadyIsabelle2011

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I have no experience with dis-budding or dis-budded goats but if I were in you situation I would call the person who did the dis-budding and ask for some advice, or maybe get your vet out their to look at him...

Also, you can't go wrong with blue kote like Livinwright said...
 

willow_top_farm

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I don't have Blue Kote, but my neighbor might, I'll check into it. I also have a general disinfectant and was thinking about putting some triple antibiotic ointment on it. I'll also send the photo to my breeder...
 

helmstead

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I would seek a vet, that looks really bad...

It also looks a bit like the horn is growing back on the other side.
 

SDGsoap&dairy

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I agree. It doesn't look like just horn regrowth after improper disbudding, to me it almost looks like it's abscessed or something. I'd see a vet about that. Sorry!
 

Livinwright Farm

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I was gonna say that it looked abcessed, but couldn't tell if it was open and oozing or just severely swollen and bubbled.
 

helmstead

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Livinwright Farm said:
I was gonna say that it looked abcessed, but couldn't tell if it was open and oozing or just severely swollen and bubbled.
Yeah it's hard to tell! I haven't seen anything like that so far and hope to the heavens that I don't.

Please keep us updated!
 

willow_top_farm

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It DOES get little "bubbles" on it sometimes, would that indicate something specific? It bleeds and then starts to scab and then he plays with the other kids and it tears and bleeds again. I'll bring him to the vet on Tuesday. In the meantime, I've swabbed it up with anaseptic and gobbed some triple antibiotic ointment on it. It does look ugly, doesn't it? Wow, my first time with goats, got them in April, and I've had three cases of coccidia and now this! Is it always like this? I was going to band the boys this week...I'm thinking I'll hold off on this poor little guy for another week.
 

doxiemoxie

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This needs a vet to open and drain the abscess and in the process s/he can probably also remove the horn bud. Keep him as stress-free as possible (yes, save the banding for later) . If he runs a fever at all start him on antibiotics immediately.
 
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