I am so glad I found this board for goats! After reading everything I have a question. I disbudded a young wether at a week old last spring for my friend. Everything was fine until his cap fell off. He is now in a pet home so I was hearing about this 2nd hand. It seems he got a growth, not a scur, where the cap fell off. I finally saw it yesterday it is about 2" across (not tall, wide)it looks scaly, light in color and is hard to the touch. If you rub on it it does flake off abit. I think it is infected as it does smell. It doesn't seem to bother him. He is eatting and playing. I have encourged his owner to take him to the vet. Has anyone seen something like this before? Is it something I did in disbudding that caused that? I want to make sure if it is, I don't do it again next year. Thanks for your time. Pamela

-- Pamela in Oregon (pmsmith@hevanet.com), November 24, 2001

Answers

Response to disbubbing gone wrong

Pamela: If you don't get a good answer here, I recommend you go to www.cybergoat.com where you can link to an email list group specific to your breed. We belong to NubianTalk which has over 1000 members in the U.S. You'll get lots of professional advice there.

Skip Sunday Creek Nubians www.sundaycreek.com

-- Skip in Western WA (sundaycreek@gnrac.net), November 24, 2001.

Response to disbubbing gone wrong

Smells as in decaying for just buck smell? Scurs do not have to just be around the outside of the hornbud, they can also be the center of the horn which would be wide and flat. I would spray it with Furox or some other antibacterial spray, making sure it does not drip into the eyes, and leave him alone. No temp, it doesn't bother him, whats a vet going to do? If this was going to grow and bother him I would hit it with an iron, but if it has only grown across since spring, sounds to me like its just some horny growth. The flaking is typical of goats not on a good mineral mix, horns or not. And there is my guess! Common Leslie, you have to guess also :) Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), November 24, 2001.

Response to disbubbing gone wrong

Smell as in decay or infection. This is nothing like any scur I have ever seen. I wish I could post a picture so you could see it. Thanks for the information on flakes for lacking minerals. I'll ask her and see if the goats have access to them. If she takes him to the vet I'll let you know what it is.

-- Pamela in Oregon (pmsmith@hevanet.com), November 24, 2001.