# Ear Infection in LaMancha Goat.



## babsbag (Nov 29, 2016)

Title pretty much says it all. She has had crusty ears for months but now one is oozing white gunk too, possibly puss but doesn't smell as bad as I would expect.  I know she doesn't feel well and will start her on Oxcytet tomorrow after I grab a culture of her ear gunk. (I need sterile swabs from my vet). Her temp is 102.4 so high end of normal for a cold day. I have her in a stall separated from the herd. I am culturing her for mycoplasma just because I can. 

What can I use to clean the ears?


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## Green Acres Farm (Nov 29, 2016)

I have no idea, but I know someone who has LaManchas who said they have a problem with ear infections.


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## Latestarter (Nov 30, 2016)

@goatgurl @Southern by choice @Goat Whisperer  Only folks I know that have Lamanchas, although I'd guess an ear infection is just that no matter the breed. I only tagged because the alerts aren't working for some of us. I would guess an antibiotic is going to be required... no idea what one.  Hope you get it all better Babs.


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## babsbag (Nov 30, 2016)

My girlfriend that has raised Alpines for EVER says "goats don't get ear infections". My friend that has raised LMs for EVER says that she cleans out ears all of the time and that she hates tight ears.  

I will start her on antibiotics tomorrow, she sounded a little congested too and not quite herself. Also going to use NFZ Puffer in her ears. One more thing to add to the goat chore list. Maybe I really do like Alpines the best.


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## samssimonsays (Nov 30, 2016)

I would imagine that without a full ear to protect it, it could get an infection. I don't know why a goat couldn't get one.... Dogs, rabbits, cats, and I even had a chicken get one when I was a kid. So what's different with goats? Finding out the cause would be a concern for me. I def want to follow this one. I know in baddest hounds and hound dogs in general with longer ears, ear infections are more prone to happen so I've always worried about my Nubians ears and check them regularly. Because I'm a worry wart of a "new" goat mom. You're still considered new at over 1.5 years in right?


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## NH homesteader (Nov 30, 2016)

I've had my goats for the same amount of time and I feel new so yes! I'm interested in this,  I was interested in getting a Lamancha but if it's a trait of theirs,  not really something that sounds enjoyable. Hope you get her sorted out!


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## Hens and Roos (Nov 30, 2016)

will be following this to learn, we noticed that our 1 LM doe has some ear crust...will take a better look this am at it.


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## Southern by choice (Nov 30, 2016)

Goats can get ear infections but it is usually secondary to something else.

Ear cleaner is a good place to start. 

We had a Kiko doe come in years ago and she had an ear infection. It was secondary as she had thick crust caused by psoroptes cuniculi.
We treated the psoroptes cuniculi with permethrin dip soaked cotton balls after we cleaned the ear. She was given 2 doses of oxy 72 hours apart.

Our Lamanchas like all our other goats can get waxy ears. We clean the ears on our goats when we trim hooves. 
I use my pinky fingernail on the lamanchas when I see a little wax building up especially on the tighter eared goats.


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## NH homesteader (Nov 30, 2016)




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## babsbag (Dec 1, 2016)

The culture has been sent to UC Davis and the doe has been started on Biomycin (oxytetracycline) . She was still not running a fever but very quiet and not really eating. I could hear fluid in her ear sloshing as I was cleaning it. A few hours after the antibiotics she was enjoying her hay and looking better already. I read that if a ear infection is not treated it can damage a nerve in their face and they won't be able to chew cud. That would not be a good thing. 

Later tonight I realized that I started a pregnant doe on oxytet...what was I thinking?  She is only 2 weeks bred so if she aborts there will probably be a chance to breed her again.  I really had no options.


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## babsbag (Dec 3, 2016)

Update: No fever, still has discharge from ear and now nose, and wet cough.  Eats a little. I would say that the oxytet is not working and thinking of switching to Tylan. Unfortunately I won't have  the culture and sensitivity until next Monday or Tuesday and Mycoplasma test a few days after that.  She has not had a high fever so not expecting Myco but if it is she will be put down.


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## Southern by choice (Dec 3, 2016)

Wow. This is strange. Never heard of anything like this.
I hope it turns around fast. 
I am surprise you haven't switched to Penn. Seems like a better choice but a lot of sticks I know. 
 NO MYCO!


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## frustratedearthmother (Dec 3, 2016)

Hoping for the best!


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## babsbag (Dec 3, 2016)

Southern by choice said:


> I am surprise you haven't switched to Penn. Seems like a better choice but a lot of sticks I know.



I won't do Penn for anything unless my vet requires it. I hate that stuff.  Oxytet or Nuflor is really the drug of choice for a subacute respiratory infection. Baytril 100 or Draxxin for acute. Tylan if it is Myco.


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## babsbag (Dec 4, 2016)

After doing some more research on LM ears I have come to discover that infections are common and discharge is 'normal'. However, her ears smell which indicates an infection. It seems that many LM breeders clean and massage the ears weekly to prevent infection. They also trim the hair around the ear so it can drain more easily.  The nasal discharge and the cough may or may not be related to the ear infection but I find it pretty suspicious. She is new to my herd in the last few months and has not had a pneumonia vaccine. I guess I should have done that when I got her. I haven't had respiratory issues in my adult goats in YEARS. 

I have 8 other adult LMs that I have owned for 2-4 years and have never cleaned an ear. So if this is common I haven't seen it. I am not sure that I need to own goats that need their ears cleaned weekly. I am doing good to get feet trimmed bi-annually and CDT annually. Weekly??? Are you kidding me.


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## Mini Horses (Dec 4, 2016)

Sounds like maybe  a sinus issue.   Ear, nasal, cough....they all generally run together.    Considered SMZs (Bactrim)? 

Hope your sensitivities come back soon.  Nice to know & get it over with.


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## Goat Whisperer (Dec 4, 2016)

We have had to get the wax buildup off an ear but I don't think it is "common". Lamancha breeders here just clean the ear off when needed. I know people with rather large herds....no way they are cleaning ears weekly.


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## babsbag (Dec 4, 2016)

I sure hope it isn't common, but it was easy to find many references and questions being asked about fluid coming from a LM's ear.


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## Goat Whisperer (Dec 4, 2016)

Are these on other forums?


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## babsbag (Dec 4, 2016)

yes. At least three different ones with multiple people asking questions about fluid coming from the ears of LMs. 

She is not better this morning so think time for a drug change.


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## Hens and Roos (Dec 4, 2016)




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## babsbag (Dec 5, 2016)

I got the report back from CAHFS and she has a large number of Trueperella Pyogenes. They did not send me a sensitivity report yet or the mycoplasma report but internet research says Nuflor is the drug of choice. Hopefully I can get this from my vet tomorrow. It is very resistant to Oyxtet and Tylan which doesn't surprise me one bit.


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## Hens and Roos (Dec 6, 2016)

babsbag said:


> I got the report back from CAHFS and she has a large number of Trueperella Pyogenes. They did not send me a sensitivity report yet or the mycoplasma report but internet research says Nuflor is the drug of choice. Hopefully I can get this from my vet tomorrow. It is very resistant to Oyxtet and Tylan which doesn't surprise me one bit.



Hope she get better for you!


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## babsbag (Dec 6, 2016)

My vet says to try her on Penn, even though I can't find anything that suggests that I will go ahead. I have a phone call into UC Davis to see if they are running a sensitivity test. My vet also says that I should suspect Myco as well.


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## Southern by choice (Dec 6, 2016)

Why won't she give you the Nuflor?
It can be related to Myco but not an "always" kind of thing.


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## babsbag (Dec 6, 2016)

She had Myco in her herd so she is very much on the lookout for it. 
I'm not sure why no Nuflor other than she said that Penn was the only thing that worked for her but she was also treating mastitis. I guess this is a pretty common bacteria. Hopefully UC Davis will have some info for me.  

I read that Penn is not the drug of choice and that Amoxicillin MIGHT work. The goat is no worse so at least there is that.


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## samssimonsays (Dec 6, 2016)

I hope you can get her better soon


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## babsbag (Dec 19, 2016)

UPDATE:  It seems that her ear infection is gone. The ear swabs were negative for mycoplasma, and the snotty nose is gone. She still has a nasty cough. I did 9 days of Pen and really no change on the cough.  

Trueperella Pyogenes is an opportunistic bacteria that is usually seen when another bacteria is present. It is an abscess causing bacteria and it resides in the mucous membrane of most animals and just waits for the immune system to get busy fighting something else and then it will make its presence known.  It can cause abscesses that you can see and ones that you can't, such as in lungs or udder.  My suspicion is that she had Pasteurella pneumonia and Trueperella Pyogenes took hold at the same time. The Oxcytet that I had her on would have taken care of the Pasteurella but not the Trueperella Pyogenes. I vaccinate my herd for Pasteurella but she is new in my herd and has not had a vaccine. (note to self...vaccinate all new goats as soon as I obtain them)

The sensitivity testing shows that it will respond to almost all antibiotics. However, since it forms an abscess it can effectively wall off the infection where the antibiotics can't reach it. 

I am considering taking her in for a sonogram to check for an abscess. An online vet I talked to suggested Draxxin, but very $$$ and my vet doesn't even have any in her office. Not sure what the final outcome will be, she is in quarantine and will stay there for a while longer.


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