Bottle Jaw

[frustratedearthmother]

In my limited experience with bottle jaw, it doesn't really look like a "ball looking thing" to me. It's more a loose, fluid filled sack that kinda hangs under the chin. Maybe we simply have a different way of describing it, lol. Is it solid feeling or soft and squishy?

 

[taylorm17]

Well the night I wrote this, she wasn't very cooperative so I got a better look today and got to feel it more. I was about to take pictures and I was trying to get it so you could see and then I moved it some how in the throwing of her head and....................... IT WAS A BEARD! I guess I was just freaking myself out and being over concerned since our boys died, but she does not have bottle jaw, she is growing a beard. I told the 'bad' news to my sister and she say with a shocked face (even more shocked than when I told her she might have bottle jaw) "I HAVE TO SHAVE IT OFF RIGHT NOW!!!!!" Here is a picture of her new 'facial hair' haha, but Sorry for concerning you all! I was so worried for a while. I gave them both a dose of ivermectin because it has been 4 weeks since the last time they had it. ALso I have safe guard for goats, but haven't used it yet. Which would you recommend, or could I use them both at different times of the year? Thanks. Sorry will get a pic in a second

 

[taylorm17]

Here is her cute little 'peach fuzz' as the girl would call it

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Well - that's just about the best problem to have, lol! Glad it wasn't any worse.

 

[Destine]

Thankyou for all your advise. I did speak to the vet on monday who said reworm, which I did. Now it is Wednesday and I don't see any change, she is still swollen in the face, jaw and throat and I can see she has lost a lot of condition, though she is still up eating, faecal looks normal (pelleted). If tomorrow brings no improvement I will take her in to the vet and do a faecal count and mayby also give a vitamin booster of some sort.. And I do Apologise for not responding sooner, but the power has been out. Again thankyou for all your help.

And the girl that started this thread taylorm17, how are your sisters goats doing are they better? Did she find out what was wrong with them?

 

[taylorm17]

Well the night I wrote this, she wasn't very cooperative so I got a better look today and got to feel it more. I was about to take pictures and I was trying to get it so you could see and then I moved it some how in the throwing of her head and....................... IT WAS A BEARD! I guess I was just freaking myself out and being over concerned since our boys died, but she does not have bottle jaw, she is growing a beard. I told the 'bad' news to my sister and she say with a shocked face (even more shocked than when I told her she might have bottle jaw) "I HAVE TO SHAVE IT OFF RIGHT NOW!!!!!" Here is a picture of her new 'facial hair' haha, but Sorry for concerning you all! I was so worried for a while. I gave them both a dose of ivermectin because it has been 4 weeks since the last time they had it. ALso I have safe guard for goats, but haven't used it yet. Which would you recommend, or could I use them both at different times of the year? Thanks. Sorry will get a pic in a second

Yeah, thanks, here is wat ACTUALLY happened. good luck with your goats.

 

[Destine]

Yeah, thanks, here is wat ACTUALLY happened. good luck with your goats.

Great to hear your good news, so glad all is well.

 

[bcnewe2]

Bottle jaw is a sign of anemia which means your goat is pretty bad. It is usually a symptom of barber pole worm ( Haemonchus contortus). I have had good luck with using Prohibit (lavamasole) or Cydectin. What ever you do you need to do it quickly or you will lose your goat(s).
Now that's said, there is also something my lambs get called a milk goiter. I can't tell you how many people that think they know sheep show up here and tell me my sheep have bottle jaw. It is nothing like it. It is fatty deposits that are on the neck where the neck and the jaw come together underneath. It is a sign of a healthy well fed lamb.
There really is a huge difference but you need to know what they both look like.
Here is a pic of a milk goiter on a lamb.
Here is a goat with bottle jaw.
Hope that helps!

 

[bcnewe2]

Oops, missed the part about your goat growing a beard! Funny! Glad she is ok!

 

[taylorm17]

haha. Thanks for telling me the difference.