My lactating doe got hurt - picture included

[ldawntaylor]

Hi,

A short time ago my first freshener came in with this injury. When considering this photo please keep in mind I am not a good photographer and the picture itself is at an angle. I will try to get a better picture tonight. The metalic is from a spray with a fly repellant and anti fungal etc. I have since trimmed the hair as much as possible too.

I had a similar issue a couple of years ago. At that time I used peroxide and iodine in rotation. That injury was not as deep but it covered more area. The real challenge with a wound like this is keeping the surface from healing too fast. If the deeper part doesn't heal first but the surface does it causes an abcess that can become a big problem.

In 3 or 4 days (unless infection sets in) I will start using bag balm on the wound to keep flies out. It is a salve that has an antibiotic from the sulfa family in it. It promotes healing of skin tissue. Using it too early would cause the very problem mentioned above.

My only real question at present is if an injected antibiotic is needed. And if so which one.

Yes, I am making preparations to sell the younger goats that have horns. The adult is a sedate sweetheart so no worries she will cause an injury.

Many thanks,

Lisa

 

[HeidiO]

It's kind of hard to tell from the photo, so a few questions.
Is it a puncture? If so how deep? Where on the body is it located? Is it infected? (What color tissue, what kind of drainage, bad smell?, is she running a temp?)
I personally don't feel it is always necessary to run to antibiotics without actual signs of infection, especially in dairy or meat animals.
I would flush it with saline if it looks unclean, use either petroleum jelly, or other unmedicated salve, and keep it covered. Moist wounds heal faster/better than dried out ones.
I'm not a vet, but am a nurse, and have dealt with all sorts of animal injuries. So mostly this is just my opinion.

 

[ldawntaylor]

Hi,

Thank you for the reminder about the saline. I have some on hand from when I got badly burned last year. Also, are your new kids Toggenberg?

As for the wound...it is a puncture, but it is over her rib cage and her ribs under it only flex like normal. Some of the tissue has dried enough that there is a little bleeding. I think some scabbing cracked open. There is no temp and no odor. Color is a bit difficult to tell. The peroxide reacts some but not as much as it did. It has actually been 4 days since the injury. I should think anything in the wound would be festering by not.

I suspect the buckling was sparring with someone and got bested and that she was just standing too close to the sparring pair.

Thank-you so much for your input.

Lisa

 

[HeidiO]

It sounds like you are off to a good start. I would just keep the wound moist (vaseline, or antibiotic ointment, lanolin) scabs are actually not desirable if you can avoid them. If you can keep it covered somehow that would be great, but I'm thinking it would be difficult with the location.
I had to brush up on my wound care technique this spring. I just got done treating a nasty wound on my kids hock that started as frostbite when he was born.
You are right, my boys are a Toggenburg mix. The farm I got them from has mostly Toggs. I think they are such pretty goats, and if they are any indication of the breed I love their temperament.
Anyway, good luck! I hope she heals fast.

 

[Southern by choice]

Are you sure it is a wound? There was no abscees or lump prior to this?

 

[Pearce Pastures]

Use gloves. Clean it out with an sterile wash and get a good look at it. It may be a wound but the pic does look like it could have be an abscess that burst--then the question is from what is the abscess? Check her al over to see if she has any other lumps under the skin.

The issue with it being open and not scabbed during warm months, at least where I am, would be insects eating at the flesh. The depth of the wound would help determine what to do too. If it is superficial, a topical ointment and a bandage might work well.

 

[HeidiO]

Looking at the pic made me think it is an injury. Abcess usually don't tear open like the wound looks like it did. IME an abcess usually has one or 2 holes that open up and drain. Unless she rubbed it against something because it was itchy or hurting.

 

[ldawntaylor]

I seriously doubt it is an abcess because I've dealt with abcesses before and they have never been flat one morning and broken open less than twelve hours later. Also, there has usually been puss draining and that is not happening here. If not currenly draining then building up to drain again. But, there is no indication of that.

One detail that doesn't show very well in the pictures is the flap of skin hanging down. Which is also unusual in the abcesses I have had to deal with.

And yes, here flies and other insects are an issue this time of year. Btw, the horse fly that was bothering her was biting by her tail not on the sore.

Also, there are no other lumps.

Thank-you for both the questions and the input.

Lisa

 

[Pearce Pastures]

The location is around where you might have given CDT, and the up close pic did seem to look like a few abscesses I have seen. A vaccine abscess might not drain after bursting.

Regardless, if it is deeper into the tissues, more than superficial, I'd be cleaning it daily and be on watch for any fever or infection. Too late for stitches at this point but keeping it clean, dry, and covered to avoid insect damage would be good.

 

[ldawntaylor]

Thank-you for your input. I am watching for infection and such. Unless the CDT is tetinus vaccine that is not possible. This particular goat was born to my herd. So I am sure the only vaccine she recieved was the short term tetinus when she was debudded.

Do abcesses take a year and a half to form? As well as going from flat to ruptured in 12 hours?

The cause doesn't really matter except in terms of prevention.