Please take a look...abcess (not graphic) pics

[countrykids]

Good morning. This is our girl Daisy this morning. I noticed it last night and it looks a bit more pronounced today. This is our first abcess ever in 7+ years of having goats. Daisy was born two years ago to one of our original does and we did bring in two babies last year from other herds.
Daisy looks fine otherwise. There are no goat vets in our part of the state so we usually do things ourselves but I am not up to lancing or draining. I believe I know a small animal vet who might draw for a test and Daisy is very small so it would be easy to carry her in to her office.
I have looked at many pics on the net, I would just like to know your opinions...those who have dealt with abscesses before, on what types it could be. In the pic it looks whitish, but actually the hair over it is black and shiny.
Thank you all.
Kim

 

[OneFineAcre]

There was a recent thread on here with an abcess in a simlar location. It's on the diseases page "Boar Goat with Knot on Jaw" Most thought that it was an impacted/infected salivary gland, or perhaps an abcessed tooth.

CL abcesses are on lymph nodes i.e. on the neck, behind the ears, and I think perhaps on the rump.

I don't think you have anything to worry about, but if you are not up to lancing yourself a small animla vet could lance and send samples to a lab for your piece of mind.

 

[countrykids]

Thank you...that is reassuring. I called the vet and they will see her tomorrow so unless it shrinks on it's own before then I will take her in.

 

[xa.logan]

Looks like abscess to me. The salivary glands are at the base of the jaw, just above the mandibular lymph nodes. Most tooth abscesses lead to a decline in eating (though most abscesses do that anyway) but most tooth abcesses affect the nasal-lacrimal duct. Which are the ducts that connect the eyes to the nose (basically), and would cause her eye to water more than normal. Looks like she ate something that got stuck in her cheek and it caused an infection. Have you examined the lump to see of there's a wound? Even a small puncture can cause an abscess. If you poke it with a needle and aspirate a little sample, you'll find a milky yellow substance (if it's an abscess).

 

[countrykids]

I don't see a wound on the outside. It looks the same as when I took the pic however. She was eating fine all weekend, but I did notice last night that she was starting to chew a little funny.
I won't be able to take her in this morning so it will probably be tomorrow. I really dread it because they know nothing about goats at the vet's office...ugh.
I can probably poke it a draw a little fluid though to see what it looks like.

 

[Pearce Pastures]

Hope all goes well with the vet. It does look like it could be a tooth abscess.

 

[countrykids]

We finally were able to take Daisy to the vet. The flu went through our household and other circumstances made it impossible to get her there. The lump didn't change much until this past weekend and it got really big and ugly. We were able to get her there today and the vet lanced the abscess and put drains in. He admittedly knows very little about goats but did remember cl from vet school. He agreed that the location was not right for cl and also the contents were not cl. He believes it could be a snake bite but I don't think so.
So, we have her separated from everyone much to her dismay. I know the other gals would tug on her drains. They look like shoestrings hanging from her cheek. Oh, the vet said that the skin is leathery there and may slough off and then there would be a hole...ugh.
He sent us home with ampicillin, one shot a day for seven days, but I have pen g here and usually use that. She is probably about 8 weeks pregnant. Which antibiotics would be best? Anyone have an idea?
The vet was very busy and I didn't get a chance to ask about the drain. Does it come out on its own? I have no idea.

 

[CritterZone]

If the drains don't fall out (they should have a stitch or two to hold them in, but that doesn't always work), you will need to take them out. Don't do it before it quits draining or you will be right back where you started. Make sure you snip the stitch before you remove them - I know that seems obvious, but I say it for a reason... Once you remove the tubes, keep the area clean and scab free. You want to make sure it heals from the inside out. Try to gently scrub it with a mild antiseptic twice a day to keep a scab from forming and to help minimize the goo from attracting flies. There is a product on the market called Ichthammol that is a drawing agent and works well on abscesses. I used it on my gelding two years ago when he got pigeon fever and the abscess localized in his sheath - poor baby! It helps to bring the abscess to a head so you can open it up. It is easy to do yourself if you wait until it "ripens" - it will develop a slight soft spot in the middle and that is where you want to make a small incision. If you use a new, sterile scalpel blade, there usually is little to no reaction from the animal. They usually feel relief that the pressure is finally relieved. Of course, you have to squeeze it to get as much puss out as possible, then flush it out and make sure it stays open so it can continue to drain, keeping it clean and scab free.

 

[xa.logan]

What CritterZone said.

Chlorhexadine also makes a very good flush. I like to recommend it since you can buy a concentrated gallon of it and the stuff works well for many things. It's fly season so keep aggressive with the cleaning, or you might be digging a fly larva out of there.

 

[countrykids]

I hadn't thought about the flies..good point. My sister has horses and I have gotten chlorahexadine from her before so will get right on that.