I have a new doe that I brought home a buck for. She developed a knot on the left side of her jaw line. The Boy and I perused it and it looked like it had a center to it. Like a pimple. I pushed on it and the whole thing exuded a yellowish/white toothpastey stuff. It did NOT smell. At all. It was VERY sticky. She was not happy with me. It didn't seem to come out all the way but we quarantined her immediately. #1 Is this CL? #2 Should we eat her or just bury her? #3 What can I do for her if it isn't CL? #4 What can I do for the borrowed buck to save him if this is CL? Or should I tell the owner and buy him (eeep). #5 What can I do for my other two does? I don't think I have that much freezer room (if they are edible). I have a university close by I can take her to but I don't think there is any goat folks there at the teaching hospital. Damn and double damn.

-- Gailann Schrader (gtschrader@aol.com), November 05, 2001

Answers

Don't freak out! These absesses are common in goats. Now that it has been partially drained put some iodine or hydrogen peroxide on it (the goat won't like the hydrogen peroxide), keep it clean to avoid secondary infection, let it heal up. It is not contagious and does not hurt the goat. Tana

-- Tana Cothran (Tana@ getgoin.net), November 05, 2001.

Hmmmmm.... well.... it might or might not be CL, depends, hard to tell without having it tested. My guess is that it could be..... geeze,, this isn't helping much. However, not all abcesses are CL, they can be from other problems too such as salivary infection, you said side of her jaw, sound slike a likely spot. is it directly under a ear, or near alymph gland? I have someplace the website for what is and isn't CL. I don't know if the www.goatworld.com site still has their disease information available for free. Check and see if they do. i will try to get the pics to you of what is and isn't CL.

In the meantime, i would treat it with iodine, flush it out, then cover it with a dressing if possible. isolate her from the others and if possible ahve it cultured.

no, you don't ahve to ea ther, but I would suggest finding out first what this is, if its CL it will invade the rest of your herd eventually.

Bernice

-- Bernice (geminigoats@yahoo.com), November 05, 2001.

Much cheaper to test the doe for CL, than buying the buck, eating the doe, or worrying one more day with it. Of course be honest with the owner of the buck. Tell her that you are sending blood in tommorrow for CL, and sending it to UC Davis. If the doe tests positive, you have just purchased a new buck. You really need to test all your animals if this doe tests positive. You can choose to treat the abscess,, quaranteen all of these positive animals for life, or putting them down and starting over. And yes it's edible, make sure you cook the meat well, nothing worse than a rare abscess :) Yes animals can have abscess from other things, but I can tell you with 15 years of goats, the only abscess we have ever had in the lymph glands, under the ears, to the neck, through the brisket, over the ribs, under the belly, over the flank, fore udder to rear udder up to the tail, was CL. Take this and CAE very seriously. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), November 05, 2001.

Thanks! I made some phone calls today from work and Purdue does the testing at the Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory. They have Vets that specialize in food animals (wince) and are making arrangements to come out and sample the doe. I REALLY hope it's not CL, as she is a big, pretty woman. But I guess that WOULD be a lot of meat for the table (wince). Thanks, everyone. What does a full-grown Oberhasli buck go for these days, anyway? Rats. Got Animals or children? Got complications. :o> I think I'll go have a cup of coffee now.

-- Gailann Schrader (gtschrader@aol.com), November 06, 2001.

No one every said this lifestyle was easy ! Keep your chin up and hope for the best.

-- Patty {NY State} (fodfarms@slic.com), November 06, 2001.

Gailann, where did you buy this doe fom? I have to say I don't think a whole lot of any breeder who would knowingly sell a goat with CL. It is very contagious and can live in wood for years and infect other goats. Anyway, if the test comes back that she does have it, you may want to call the sellers up and tell them. They might not know that it's in their herd. Keep the other goats FAR away from this one, and I would not even let them in any pen where she had been while this abcess broke open.

-- Rebekah (daniel1@itss.net), November 06, 2001.

I have her quarantined right now. As best you can quarantine a lonely doe that weighs 150#. I'm still waiting for a call from the Purdue Vet to come out and check her. Rats. I will let my seller know when I find out. I have had her for 6 months so maybe his animals are not contaminated. Rats. Rats.

-- Gailann Schrader (gtschrader@aol.com), November 06, 2001.

Take this for what it is worth. Get someone you know or a vet to pull blood or squeeze the contents of the abscess into a sterile container and send it to UC Davis. Sending it anywhere else is a waste of money and time. Lets just say the even Pullman Washington sends their stuff for CL diagnosis to UC Davis! Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), November 06, 2001.

Vicki, I just HATE it when you are right. The Vet here at Purdue hadn't ever heard it called CL. And didn't know whether there was a blood test for it or not. Very nice guy, just didn't know. He is checking on it here. I asked and he said there are NO goat Vets here in the area. No kidding (very punnish, I know). He said he was encouraged that there wasn't any smell and very little discharge. We'll see. Oh, and by the by, abscess on toast is excellent. Just make sure you leave it under the broiler long enough..... Sick and twisted here in Indiana...

-- Gailann Schrader (gtschrader@aol.com), November 07, 2001.

Addendum to Vicki. I really hate you now. The Vet called. He said that they DO a blood test. But it has to be sent out. TO........... UC Davis. He was very startled when I echoed UC Davis back to him on the phone. He said he would come out and blood test all of them and send it off for me. I hate needles so it's just as well that he is going to do it. More $$ but I am independantly wealthy - I'm a homesteader! We are rich beyond measure. Just not in dollars. Just sense. :o> Thanks!

-- Gailann Schrader (gtschrader@aol.com), November 07, 2001.

Gailann, the peace of mind factor is the priceless part! We have a couple of gals on The Goat Shed that have had persistant abscess on their goats. Though neither had lumps near lymph glands. Neither were CL, one was cancer. If it does turn out to be something else, feel free to visit the Shed and visit with Lorna who is dealing with this right now. I would head toward immune improvement, and sit down with the paperwork and information with who you leased the buck from. UC Davis is home to Dr. Rowe V Wade (I always slaughter that, perhaps Bernice can fix that) and I believe Joan Bowen is also a small ruminent practioner there, would be worth the effort to have your vet contact them if the information does come back negative. I would have him remove the lump and send the whole thing in.

That is excellent that your vet came up with that. He obviously did some research. That's a very good sign!

Don't hate me to much :) My list of detractors is getting mighty long! I have never heard of it happening, but could you even imagine cutting into a nice piece of barbque to find a well done abscess! Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), November 07, 2001.

What's a cream puff but a pastry with an abscess? Or a jelly filled donut? The next fork-ful could be an adventure!! Thanks again, ALL! I'll post an update either from the supper table or the kidding pen.

grins

-- Gailann Schrader (gtschrader@aol.com), November 07, 2001.

First thing in the a.m. you guys are helping my diet !!!!!! Vicki how about a book ? Ever think of writing one ?

-- Patty {NY State} (fodfarms@slic.com), November 08, 2001.

The Vet is due out tomorrow morning. I checked the doe's jawline and the lump is gone. I couldn't even see any sore area. Weirder and weirder. I'm still going to have all the critters blood tested. Funny story: Vet asked me if my goats are halter trained. I repeated it to him and he asked me if goats aren't usually haltered. Uh, no, I sez. Usually COLLARED. This is gonna be a whoopee doopee goat ropin' tomorrow ain't it? I'll try not to giggle too much.

-- Gailann Schrader (gtschrader@aol.com), November 08, 2001.