# Lesions on Goat Kid's Face



## KidMandy (Apr 26, 2012)

Hi Everyone,

We are new to goats, and recently brought home two kids from a friend (she had two does kid recently).  This morning I noticed one of the kids (5 wks old) had what looked like a bloody cheek.  As I was bottle feeding her, I noticed a few more spots: one at the base of both ears (where they join her face), and a spot above her eye where the skin has come off and that seems like a bump.  She is eating fine, and is otherwise healthy, save for a pre-existing broken leg.

The only disease I can find that sounds close is Sore Mouth, but I don't see anything in or around her mouth.

Any help is much appreciated!!

Amanda
in Amaranth Ontario Canada


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## 20kidsonhill (Apr 26, 2012)

One thing about soremouth, is that it is scabby, and when the scabs are pealed off, it is bloody underneath. The only soremouth I have ever seen has been on the lips, and it was very obvious.


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## elevan (Apr 26, 2012)

Welcome to BYH.

Soremouth doesn't always present around the mouth but it usually does (hence the name).

If the goat were here I'd apply some wound ointment  at the spot around the ears (not the one above the eye...that one I'd leave alone for right now or just apply Neosporin to it).  Either that or I'd apply Blu-Kote to the spots with a cotton swab.  I guess I'd have to see it to decide which route I'd take first.


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## KidMandy (Apr 26, 2012)

I was looking closer at the spots by her ears.  They look like raised lumps (for lack of a better word) that are open and oozing.  It also feels like there are spots under her chin, but I can only feel them, they aren't visible through her hair.  These two kids are our only goats, so I can't imagine she's picked up anything in the two weeks she's been at our house.  I was really caught off guard finding her like that today.


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## 20kidsonhill (Apr 26, 2012)

raised and oozing bumps,  Hmmmmm.   

Staph in fection? 
Mites? 
 Just guessing.  

bug bites?


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## elevan (Apr 26, 2012)

KidMandy said:
			
		

> These two kids are our only goats, so I can't imagine she's picked up anything in the two weeks she's been at our house.  I was really caught off guard finding her like that today.


It's more likely the "stress" of being brought to your house lowered their immune system enough for something to crop up that they were already carrying.


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## KidMandy (Apr 26, 2012)

I spoke with our local farm vet, and he thinks it's Orf, possibly contracted through the mother who could be an asymptomatic carrier.  It sounds like we just have to wait it out, keep our "human kids" away from them.  I've read it's highly contagious, so does that mean our other goat kid will catch it too?  According to "Raising Dairy Goats" it's better for everyone to catch it at once, and then they become immune.  I'm curious to know if it will continue to be passed down from doe to kid.


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## elevan (Apr 26, 2012)

I had to look that one up... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orf_(animal_disease)

There is a pic of  a sheep with it that you could compare too.  If that's what it is then definitely keep the kids away since it's zoonotic.


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## 20kidsonhill (Apr 27, 2012)

KidMandy said:
			
		

> I spoke with our local farm vet, and he thinks it's Orf, possibly contracted through the mother who could be an asymptomatic carrier.  It sounds like we just have to wait it out, keep our "human kids" away from them.  I've read it's highly contagious, so does that mean our other goat kid will catch it too?  According to "Raising Dairy Goats" it's better for everyone to catch it at once, and then they become immune.  I'm curious to know if it will continue to be passed down from doe to kid.


Isn't "Orf" the name for Soremouth?


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## purplequeenvt (Apr 27, 2012)

Orf is Soremouth. It is contagious both to animals and humans, but I wouldn't say it's highly contagious. Out of 22 lambs this year, we've only had 4 or 5 lambs with very mild cases of soremouth. It used to go through all of the lambs. We've been raising sheep for 11 years and I don't think I have ever gotten soremouth. 

I wouldn't go around kissing any kids (goat, not human!) until it has cleared up and make sure you wash your hands thoroughly after handling them.


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## Chris (Apr 27, 2012)

"Orf" is another name for sore mouth. It also goes by  scabby mouth, contagious pustular dermatitis and contagious ecthyma. Sore mouth is a Poxvirus that is related to pseudocowpox and bovine papular stomatitis.

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/orf_virus/
http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/71000.htm
http://www.aces.edu/pubs/docs/U/UNP-0063/UNP-0063.pdf

Chris


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## Chris (Apr 27, 2012)

purplequeenvt said:
			
		

> Orf is Soremouth. It is contagious both to animals and humans, but I wouldn't say it's highly contagious. Out of 22 lambs this year, we've only had 4 or 5 lambs with very mild cases of soremouth. It used to go through all of the lambs. We've been raising sheep for 11 years and I don't think I have ever gotten soremouth.
> 
> I wouldn't go around kissing any kids (goat, not human!) until it has cleared up and make sure you wash your hands thoroughly after handling them.


Are you positive it is Sore mouth and not Foot-and-Mouth Disease? There look very similar but it is uncommon for humans catching Foot-and-Mouth.

Chris


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## purplequeenvt (Apr 27, 2012)

Chris said:
			
		

> purplequeenvt said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


It is definitely NOT Foot-and-Mouth.


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## KidMandy (Apr 27, 2012)

After I looked up Orf, I realized it was the same as Sore Mouth.   I noticed today that one of the spots by her ears/face  has lost hair and has small scaly patches on the exposed skin.  Does that sound right to you guys?  Some of the pics I found online are difficult to see and relate to my kids.

Thank you all for your help!  It's much appreciated for this new goat herder


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## 20kidsonhill (Apr 27, 2012)

KidMandy said:
			
		

> After I looked up Orf, I realized it was the same as Sore Mouth.   I noticed today that one of the spots by her ears/face  has lost hair and has small scaly patches on the exposed skin.  Does that sound right to you guys?  Some of the pics I found online are difficult to see and relate to my kids.
> 
> Thank you all for your help!  It's much appreciated for this new goat herder


More than likely it is soremouth, it is pretty common. But some of the things you are describing do not remind me of soremouth, but there are different strains, so could be slight variations in symptoms.  the fact that there were spots that were bleeding, sounds like soremouth.  But the hair and bumps that you talked about remind me of when our goats had rainrot last fall(a fungle infection).


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