Lump under ear, is it CL?

[Roll farms]

I've had them come up pretty quickly...can't say how quickly. I've never timed one. It usually takes a while (few weeks to a mo.) but...there are no rules w/ goats / illnesses.

Unless he's had a sneaky hidden one already that popped / went unnoticed (which doesn't sound likely), or had an internal / lung abscess pop and he's coughed it up.....your girls *should* be ok.

If it came up fast, it could pop fast.

Again, I can't swear it is...but if you can't have him tested, don't risk it.
And...Don't waste time getting him gone, whatever you decide to do.

 

[Caprice_Acres]

Don't sell him. There's already enough CL out there, why would you want to spread it further? If you MUST sell him, take him to a MEAT ONLY auction. That way, no poor newbie goat owner gets ahold of him to start a herd.

If I were you I'd shoot him. I'd also take a sample of the pus (take the abscess WHOLE if you can, less likely to spread onto you) and send it in for testing. That's the only way to know for sure if it IS CL. It is in a pretty classic area, though.

I had heard that carcasses with more than 2 abscesses (they can be quite numerous internally sometimes) are inedible for public consumption. Though why anybody would want to eat a goat with a zoonotic disease in any form is beyond me. I think CL positive goats should not be consumed.

 

[Ariel301]

I'd use him for meat, personally. I have a CL free herd and though it is a disease you can manage, it is a pain to do so, so I don't want to risk infecting anyone. There is a vaccine available (it's labeled for sheep but works on goats) so you can vaccinate your girls if you want to try managing him with CL, and just keep him away from them when he has an active abscess, they usually go through periods of lumps and periods of no lumps, and they only spread it by getting the contents of an abscess where another goat can come in contact with it.

 

[chandasue]

Vaccination doesn't always work that great from what I've read. You can get a vacs made specific to your strain of CL but spendy. Once you start vaccinating you have to vaccinate every baby since the scabs fall off and can transmit the virus. I wouldn't do it personally. Eat him... (not trying to be cold, just practical...)

 

[babsbag]

Once you start vaccinating you have to vaccinate every baby since the scabs fall off and can transmit the virus. I wouldn't do it personally. Eat him... (not trying to be cold, just practical...)

What scabs fall off? Are you talking one from the vaccination site? I believe it is a killed vaccine so I don't know how that would carry the virus. If you are talking goats that are CL positive I agree that they carry the virus, but if the vaccine holds then your herd is protected. I wouldn't knowingly run a goat with an open abscess in my vaccinated flock, but I just want you to clarify your statement. I hear of many good results with the sheep vaccine.

 

[Emmetts Dairy]

Its a hard choice Im sure...I just wanted to say Im sorry He is a very handsome boy!

Good luck in whatever you choose. Its not easy. But you must do what you can deal with. You can have CL in the herd and deal but as others stated its hard work and a nusiance sometimes.

The CL Vaccine is a live vaccine. Im not a big fan of giving it to ones who dont have it. Cuz you are literally injecting them with the disease to activate an imuno response to it. So I would only do it if I absolutely had to. It can be a risk. Same thing with Sore Mouth vaccines. If you dont have it..dont add it to the herd unless absolutley neccessary.

Again..all I can say is sorry..its hard on you Im sure...I wish you the best in whatever you choose.

PS As for the meat. From all Ive read..and heard from meat goat herdsman..its ediable. I have dairy..so I dont know first hand.

 

[chandasue]

The CL Vaccine is a live vaccine. Im not a big fan of giving it to ones who dont have it. Cuz you are literally injecting them with the disease to activate an imuno response to it. So I would only do it if I absolutely had to. It can be a risk. Same thing with Sore Mouth vaccines. If you dont have it..dont add it to the herd unless absolutley neccessary.

This is what I've read as well contrary to what babsbag is saying. I don't know who is right. I just wouldn't take the chance with the vaccine.

 

[FarmerDenise]

I am keeping him seperate from the girls. It is rather difficult to do, since we don't have much space. We are also expecting some very bad weather, cold and rain
We were able to make a makehsift shelter for him by leaning old funky plywood against an old boat we have, but this won't do in really nasty weather.
His lump hasn't changed any. So I am ever so slightly hopeful.

I have put an add out to sell him. I will definitely let potential buyers know about the lump and that it might be CL. I cut his hair on that spot anyway, so it is pretty noticable.
Just because the person I bought him from wasn't truthfull with me about the poor care he had received (he had lice and his feet had not been trimmed, we can see the new horn growth looks much better, since he has been with us), I won't be doing the same to someone who wants to buy him from us.
We have become too attached to him to be able to butcher and eat him. He is really sweet and gentle and loves being pet and groomed.
I have been trimming his hooves, we got rid of the lice and he has grown a lot in the 2 months we have had him. I had hoped to sell him to someone who wanted a pet goat or whatever. Now I will sell him for meat, unless a knowledgable person wants him in spite of the CL.
Goat meat is in demand in my area and I don't see them advertised for sale very often. That is one reason I had such a difficult time finding a buck for my milk goats.
I just hope my girls are pregnant now

Thanks for all the advice.

 

[babsbag]

I didn't say for sure that is a killed virus, just that I thought that it was. It was actually on BYH in a previous thread that I read that it was killed. I would still like to know about the scabs falling off. Did you mean a scab from the injection site? I haven't used the vaccine, but there are some on here that do.

 

[Emmetts Dairy]

I would have to read more on the CL vaccine...some, are Modified Live and some are Dead. I believe the ones you have created for specific strains are Dead. I read they actually killed the strain you have from sample via ultrasound and that then becomes part of the vaccine.

I do know that they are not labeled for goats..and the manufacturer does not recomend for goats due to injection site reactions etc.

I dont know enough about CL to be certain on the use of vaccines or what the outcome of the use of the vaccines for people who deal w/ CL in their herds. So I guess I should apologise for my statement of not vaccinating against it. I just dont know enough to give you specific details. I know that I do not use it..becuase I dont have it in my herd. I know it dos'nt have strong clinical trials like other common vaccines, to support its use...for me. That is my personal opinion..cuz I dont not have it in my herd...and dont want to introduce it..live or dead. But if I had CL my thoughts on this may be completely differant. So Im really not the person to advise on its use. I would be, like you, searching for advice and information.

What I do know with all Vaccines..live or dead the disease is injected to create an imuno response in the animals. Thats what a vaccine is. With every vaccine...there is a risk of introducing the disease. Thats just the nature of vaccines. So before I would inject a vaccine into my herd...I would do my homework and wiegh the risks vs the disease and the consequences of both. Then make a decision.

Most are established and fine...the CL...I just dont know enough about it current use and successfulness people had with it. I do know Roll has dealt with it for a while..and has had success with keeping her animals healthy. I dont know the details of her practices for it...but maybe she'll chime in and elabortate on the vaccine.

Im sorry...I just dont have enough info to share on it...and This is my personal opinion on its use.

The only true way to get real facts is to have it tested..and then know for certain what your dealing with. Speculating on this disease is not recomended. I would test. Especially if you think he may have got some does pregnant.

I wish you the best in your decision. Its a personal choice of what you have to do with whats been laid upon your plate. Im sorry.. I pray its not CL for you and him and your herd.

Good luck with him...he is awful handsome!!