Goat health

[CRaff]

I have a small herd of 5 goats. 3 are from one farm and 2 from another. They have started to develop facial infections that present as a swollen lump and eventually reabsorb but sometimes break open and begin to drain. The drainage is white to clear. So far they seem to heal fine. I do not want to add any more goats until I have resolved this issue. Any ideas?

 

[Southern by choice]

How large are the lumps and where is the location?
Can you post a picture?

 

[Latestarter]

Greetings and welcome to BYH. Glad you joined us... but sorry it's because your goats are having issues. Where are you physically located (climate)? It may have a bearing, and you really should put at least your general location in your profile for that reason. Pictures are worth a thousand words, maybe more when it comes to an illness or injury. Please browse around and make yourself at home.

 

[CRaff]

How large are the lumps and where is the location?
Can you post a picture?

I live in NJ and my herd is very fluffy this time of year. I just had one with a fairly large lump about the size of a golf ball. These always develop on their cheeks and sometimes under their chins closer to the neck never anywhere elae. I don't have any photos but will try to get one. They are always soft and sometimes drain. When they open I clean them with peroxide and put Neosporin on the wound. Thank you for responding.

 

[Southern by choice]

There are many things that can cause lumps but...
Because it is the whole herd I would lean toward CL- Caseous Lymphadenitis
Highly contagious, zoonotic, once it breaks open the ground is contaminated...

http://waddl.vetmed.wsu.edu/animal-disease-faq/caseous-lymphadenitis

Here is a good pic of common CL locations.

 

[babsbag]

Is the drainage thick like toothpaste or thin? CL is usually really thick. Also I have never heard of a CL abscess reabsorbing but anything is possible. But to be sure you can either collect some of the drainage in a clean red top tube and send it in for testing or have blood drawn on the goat and send that in.

Do they have access to any browse or hay that has stickers in it?

 

[CRaff]

Is the drainage thick like toothpaste or thin? CL is usually really thick. Also I have never heard of a CL abscess reabsorbing but anything is possible. But to be sure you can either collect some of the drainage in a clean red top tube and send it in for testing or have blood drawn on the goat and send that in.

Do they have access to any browse or hay that has stickers in it?

The more I am reading it is most likely CL. I am so disheartened that there seems to be no treatment. I was hoping to be able to breed them on a small scale but with the high likelihood of the kids developing this CL I feel that to be responsible I will only be able to keep the herd I have. I can't believe there is no curative treatment. I am heartbroken.

 

[Southern by choice]

Have at least one of them cultured. This way you know for sure and no guessing.
I am so sorry.

 

[babsbag]

Find a good vet or a university that will talk to you about CL and the vaccine. There is one available. It will not cure your goats but it will help with the abscesses forming and breaking all of the time. But do your research, read about the vaccine and get the goats tested. Ask for the titers after the test, the lower the better. It is very upsetting to me that many people unknowingly buy goats that are infected and then infect there land making it tough to get more goats; just makes me heart hurt. Another option is to buy clean goats, get them vaccinated, and then gradually weed out the ones you have now. Not what you want to hear, but it is a way to eventually get a clean herd.

But I would have blood drawn on all of them and send it off to a lab.

 

[Southern by choice]

Another option is to buy clean goats, get them vaccinated, and then gradually weed out the ones you have now.

I disagree with the order.
Best to eradicate diseased animals first, allow the land to rest. If not then whatever animals you bring in can still get it vaccine or not.
Buy from annually tested (whole herd) farms.
Vaccination will always produce positive in testing. I am not a fan of it unless you keep CL positive animals and choose not to eradicate.
The other issue is many will not buy from a herd that is giving the vaccine because usually those that are vaccinating for it had it, too risky for dairy goat breeders. Meat goat people are not as concerned.
CL is zoonotic.