I have a new mommy goat that had twins! The problem is that she has sores on one half of her udder on the teat. I read all the books I have and they say that she had Goat Pox and it will go away eventually. Is there anything besides washing the area gently, putting antibiotic cream on it and gently hand milking her out that I can do for her? She HATES me touching the sores (poor thing) and I have to tie her leg down to milk her. HELP! The sores are at least the size of quarters. Thanks people!

g

-- Gailann Taylor Schrader (gtschrader@aol.com), June 05, 2000

Answers

some one adressed gout pox a while ago, should be in goat file. I dont know about it but i wonder if washing with epsom salts might help?

-- kathy h (saddlebronc@msn.com), June 06, 2000.

Gailann go visit saanendoah.com they have a blurb about staph aureous in the section on udder infusions and also an article and some pictures you don't want to see on a full stomach on gangren mastitis, really only relavant if you have does with white udders. A very informative web site, and if you think you have goat pox then you might want to e-mail this very knowledgeable goat owner! We have never even seen a diagnosis of goat pox in 14 years. What book did you get this information out of? Most udder lesions are staph or echythma (sore mouth) or CL. Vicki McGaugh

-- Vicki McGaugh (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), June 06, 2000.

The big debate on udder sores. I'm definitely lost, too. I always thought, that it was goat pox , because on soremouth it tells you, it should be around the mouth-nose area, and will only be transferred to the udder by nursing kids. Now, my kids NEVER have any signs of it, but most all my does have these " things" now and then, usually after they freshen, but sometimes later in the lactation, too. If it was staph, shouldn't it go away, when you give them something like a Penicillin Treatment? And if so I tried that, and it didn't seem to make it heal any faster, and why would it come back, once cured? And, what is CL? I had such a bad case of this this spring, that it went all the way up the goats stomach, and even a little bvit up one side of her. All the hair fell out, and she was just covered with blisters. She is healing up now, and the hair started to grow back, but if I knew of a way to get rid of this once and for all , I would definitely do it, because it puts the girls through a lot, and I always have to hope, that they are healed up before the fair, so I can show them.

-- karin morey (wind_crest@hotmail.com), June 07, 2000.

Karin, this is exactly what a staph aureous infection is! Little pustules, like little tiny blisters or white heads that if broken open will spread unto the legs, bellies etc. The spreading is actually a secondary infection. If left alone and not irritated this will feel more like sandpaper under the skin, and will not rupture. This has nothing to do with mastitis staph. A doe will carry this in her system and like mastitis can get this from nursing a mom who has an active case or from the invoirnment. Does it clear up once summer comes and the surroundings are dryer? This means that it is in your barn. So does staph in humans! The only way to treat this is to vaccinate. The use of penicillin or benedryl will clear it up in the way of drying it up lets say like poison ivy. Years ago we cleared this out of our herd with vaccination, and the only doe who still gets her shots is 10. The use of vaccinated colostrum on the other does must have lead to their immunity and we no longer use the vaccine. We use Lysign formerly Stomota Staph in the Jeffers Livestock Catalog in the cattle section, you give a vaccination now and one later. We give these along with our Bar Vac CD&T and all does get one 3 weeks before they kid. sannendoah.com has a blurb about this on their site, with the use of the same drug. It is actually more of a nusiance probelm, and an ugly one at that!, rather than something that hurts the doe, unless secondary infection sets in with something worse. Vicki McGaugh (going to answer with CL to the other gal with the udder bump, if you care to read it)

-- Vicki McGaugh (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), June 07, 2000.

Ok. Now. I found the Lysigin/Somato-Staph stuff in the Jeffers catalog. I read that I give 5 ml. IM to CATTLE. How much do I give the goats? Do I give it to the infected goat? Regarding penicillin/benadryl. Do I give that as an injection? Benedryl is usually a topical or an oral dosage and penicillin is usually oral or injected. HELP! The goat is clearing on the infected teat but looks like poison ivy on the clear teat. Do I inject her babies too? They don't seem to be infected but I suppose I won't know until later. I am milking a goat that is in the same pen as the infected goat and cannot separate them (no other pen). Do I inject her and throw away the milk from her? Thanks for the info!

g

-- Gailann (gtschrader@aol.com), June 10, 2000.

Sending you this privately. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), June 11, 2000.