abscess

[txgoatfarmer]

My billy goat has what I think is a abscess right in front of his left knee.

At first it was about the diameter of a penny now bout the diameter of a quarter. Just a little smaller than a golf ball.

Do I need to get him to the vet asap or is it something I can do?
I have never delt with anything like this.I do know that his previous owner gave him a CDT shot dont know where.

 

[cmjust0]

The only locations for abscess that I'd really worry over would be around the ear/jaw area, down on the chest at the bottom of the neck, or at any other lymph-node site.. Those would strongly indicate CL by their location alone.

I've never personally heard of a CL abscess popping up on a knee.. Obviously it would take a culture to know exactly what you're dealing with, and I wouldn't dare sit here and say that a CL abscess couldn't possibly manifest on a knee, but my gut tells me you're looking at a fairly simple wound abscess. They grow pretty quickly.

If I were a vet - which I'm certainly not - I'd suggest lancing it (vertical incision toward the bottom of the lump), draining it, flushing it with iodine, smearing it with furazone, giving a shot of tetanus anti-toxin, and maybe slapping his hiney for good measure as he runs away..

Is everybody gonna do that? Heck no. Some folks would just pretend not to see it until it burst and went flying everywhere to be trampled by the rest of the herd, then go "Hey, his abscess is gone. Cool.".....and if it were a simple wound abscess and nothing infectious like CL, that would, in all likelihood, be the end of it.

Diff'rent strokes for diff'rent herdsfolk.

If you're comfy with lancing an abscess...or just wanna practice on an unsuspecting billy goat ...I'd lance, drain, flush, smear, jab, and slap.

 

[txgoatfarmer]

Ok I think I'm going to practice on a unsuspecting billy...lol
When should I make the incision?
It is right in front of the knee not excactly on the knee probably 1 inch in front of it.
Should I go ahead and get it cultured?

 

[samplekasi]

Ok I think I'm going to practice on a unsuspecting billy...lol
When should I make the incision?
It is right in front of the knee not excactly on the knee probably 1 inch in front of it.
Should I go ahead and get it cultured?

You should definately get it cultured and Be very careful as CL is zootonic ( you can get it ) you do not want to do this anywhere that it would possibly be near another goat. Take this goat somewhere you will never be housing any goat as it will live int he ground. use gloves and be SOSOSOSOSOSOSOSO careful !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Could you post a full body shot so we can see it exactly where it is on the body? Have you vaaccinated recently?

 

[Roll farms]

Once they go bald like that they're getting pretty 'ripe'...if you're going to lance it, do it soon.
Never seen one on a leg, lower than an 'armpit' actually, so I agree w/ CM, drain it yourself....but it won't hurt to be careful...and like Kasi said, take it far, far away from any other animal areas / wear gloves.
Won't hurt to take a sample in for testing....call the vet you're taking it to first and let them know to expect you, they may have instructions for how you handle the sample.

 

[samplekasi]

Ok I think I'm going to practice on a unsuspecting billy...lol
When should I make the incision?
It is right in front of the knee not excactly on the knee probably 1 inch in front of it.
Should I go ahead and get it cultured?

1 inch in front of the kneee I am confused, If you can not post a picture of spot it is in I would copy an outline of a goat into paint and put an X where the absess is and then save upload and post to here

 

[samplekasi]

Please do not rage on me

I have a wether that something is just off with him he never grew past about 5 months he was a companion animal so not any big worries I found an absess on him and he was an immediuate Cull. He was in the works to be sold and so glad I found this before.Taken off the land before culled as to not possibly infect ( read VERY VERY cautious) anything!! Bought him at auction 1 year ago never had an absess before I am just NOT willing to take the chance.

Now if this is one of your herd sires or foundation does I would take it AWAY lance and TEST!

 

[dkluzier]

1 inch in front of the kneee I am confused, If you can not post a picture of spot it is in I would copy an outline of a goat into paint and put an X where the absess is and then save upload and post to here

I would take this to mean that when you hold the foot and straighten the leg and look, it is toward the foot end of the leg.. in front of the knee.

 

[cmjust0]

1 inch in front of the kneee I am confused, If you can not post a picture of spot it is in I would copy an outline of a goat into paint and put an X where the absess is and then save upload and post to here

I would take this to mean that when you hold the foot and straighten the leg and look, it is toward the foot end of the leg.. in front of the knee.

I took it to mean the opposite.

Like, if you hold the foot and straighten the leg, the abscess would be above the knee....."in front of" the knee, as your eyes travel from the shoulder to the foot.

Who knows, though...you may be spot on, now that you explain it the way you did!

Thing is, for me, a 2" difference in location around the area of the knee doesn't really change what I suspect about the nature of the abscess itself. I'm still thinking there's a big fat thorn or splinter or piece of wire or something at work here.

 

[samplekasi]

Loss of hair on the spot is not a good sign. Does not look in the pictures like he is pulling the hair to the side, it looks like the absess has lost hair.
CL
http://www.tennesseemeatgoats.com/articles2/caseouslymphadenitis.html

Absesses in General
http://www.tennesseemeatgoats.com/articles2/abscesses.html

This page if from a vet that raises goats
http://www.salecreekvet.com/738384.html