Abscess on face of ram

[Southdown]

Just one abscess. I'm recruiting help tonight to go examine. He's acting happy and eating fine. But I'm worried because it's not going away.

 

[Sheepshape]

I hope that things turn out to be simple.

Just to say that one lump alone under the jaw/upper neck can be a simple mucous cyst related to a salivary gland. I had my big planned-for- breeding ram develop one (aged about 18 months). VERY experienced sheep farmer saw it and said that he would 'get rid of him'.......the suggestion being to send him to the meat market ASAP. I had managed to restrain him (with help) and shone a light at the back of the lump. It lit up like a lantern and was therefore full of a simple watery fluid, so I was pretty sure of my ground and decided to keep him.Somewhere over last summer it disappeared, and has never re-appeared.

You could always send some pus to the vet to look for analysis.

An abscess needs to be opened and allowed to drain as antibiotics penetrate the thick capsule very poorly.

If a single abscess, there's a good chance that there's a simple diagnosis.

 

[Southdown]

My husband and I were not able to look into the mouth; we tried. But I decided to lance the abscess. Nothing but blood came out. There was no pus or other fluids. I also removed the existing scab to see if anything would drain via that route and nothing. Maybe the antibiotics cleared it up enough? It's weird because no fluids are coming out, but yet it's not a flat abscess either. My husband thought I didn't lance deep enough, but then the ram jerked around while I was doing it and he got poked quite deep that time. So I think there is just nothing there to drain, between the lanced cut and the actual scab/original drainage area. Maybe I can get a photo tonight.