Goat with swollen face! *PICTURES*

[NachoFarm]

I originally posted this in Emergencies/Injuries and received no response. I'm starting to get really concerned about her because it looks worse and she really isn't letting me get a good look at it. I'm also now worried that maybe it's a tooth and/or mouth infection of some sorts. She seems to be eating and drinking alright...

I thought she was chewing cud with the one side because her face was all fat but at closer inspection today she's got some sort of cut or sore on her lip at the corner. I haven't really held her down and checked it out but I'm thinking it could be from her sister, they still have their horns. Or since we're renovating the barn maybe she found a loose nail and got caught on it...or maybe she has some sort of tooth infection. Knowing goats...IT COULD BE ANYTHING!!!! If it's just a minor cut, how do I treat it? Can I just use human Polysporin on it? Man, it's always something around here!

 

[Renegade]

It could be anything. Posting a few pictures would help.

Donna

 

[swiss.susan]

Is it soremouth? Is it a cut or a blister? If it's on her mouth it wouldn't do you any good to put anything on it, she would just lick it off. She could have poked the inside of her mouth with a piece of hay. Is there a lump on the outside? Really hard to help when you can't see it....

 

[ksalvagno]

I think you need to either get her to a vet or have a very experienced goat person take a look at her. It sounds like there may be infection. Also, has she had her CDT shot? If not, I would be getting tetanus antitoxin into her. It is very hard to diagnose something like that over the internet. Especially with no pictures.

 

[Chris]

It could be a number of things, posting a picture would help but I would also recommend calling your vet and having them come out and look at it.
It could be as simple as a bee sting but it could be more complex. Two other things that come to mind are Bottle Jaw and Big Head Disease.

Chris

 

[NachoFarm]

Ok, I managed to get some photos. They're the best I could do because obviously she was resistant to holding still. It looks dark green around her mouth and red in the corner. Could she have grass/hay/cud stuck in there? She hasn't had shots that I know of, although the woman we got them from gave us a bag of various things that are injectable. Not sure how to use them or if any of them would be useful in this case. I have some vitamin B, but beyond that...I really don't want to have to call the vet if it's something I can deal with so hopefully these photos help.


A close-up view of the side;

You can see it looks swollen in her cheek area;

Side of the face;

 

[NachoFarm]

Great. :/
Reading up on sore mouth didn't make me feel any better. Contagious...to humans...worse in humans with autoimmune disorders such as Lupus.
I'm a human...and I have Lupus.
Oh AND it's contagious to sheep, which we're getting three of on Saturday...and a side note, my brand new fridge stopped working yesterday and my eldest daughter busted her ankle at the beginning of summer vacation.
Honestly, when it rains it pours around here.

 

[Renegade]

She does not have soremouth. It's just a cut.
I would keep a close eye on it to make sure it doesn't get infected. I personally would not put any ointment on it. It will just melt off and attract dirt. The only ointment you might try if you have flies is SWAT. It's thick so it stays on the wound and it has fly repellent in it.
If you can call the previous owner and find out if she had a CDT vaccine in the last 12 months. If it's more then 9-10 months ago I would give her a booster.

HTH
Donna

 

[NachoFarm]

Ok good! I made some saline solution and poured it through her mouth today to try to clean it out a bit. I also shoved my fingers in there and it feels to me like the lip area is swollen but there doesn't appear to be any pus or tooth issues. Mind you she couldn't have wanted me to stop doing anything more...lol...who knew a 50 lb. goat would give my husband such trouble! I will just keep an eye on it and try to contact the old owner. Thanks!

 

[Renegade]

It doesn't look infected in the photos. It's probably swollen from the trauma. Keep a close eye on it.

Donna