Soremouth Help Needed

[Tiffany L]

I have a 1 month old boer doe with I'm assuming soremouth. Huge scab covering most of nose and smaller scabs on corner of mouth. Has not been with any other goats only the mother. Mother has big sore on teat. Pulled kid and am bottle feeding. Can I use blu-kote or iodine on these sores? Should I give penicillin?
Thanks in advance

 

[mysunwolf]

It's a virus so antibiotics will not help unless the sores have gotten infected. Keep the sores generally clean--some have said they like iodine, peroxide is also good but both are painful--but be very careful to wear gloves, I've gotten soremouth on my hands a few times and it's not fun. It should run its course and not do much damage, unless the kid has a very weak immune system. You can also administer anything that will help the immune system and it may speed up the process. Be aware that it may come back in the same animal or elsewhere in your flock.

 

[mysunwolf]

(Or I guess herd, since yours are goats )

 

[jodief100]

Not much you can do for soremouth. As long as the kid is eating well there is not much to worry about. Watch for infection. It is better now than summer, bugs make it much worse.

 

[Tiffany L]

I've been putting bag balm on the does udder to help make the scab not so tight. But she also seems to have hoof rot. Note I have only had these 2 for 1 month hence why they're still quarantined. Just wasn't sure if I treated the foot rot with penicillin if it would help or hurt the soremouth.

 

[Tiffany L]

With the sores being right on her nose and mouth I was afraid to use anything for fear of being ingested. What can I use to clean? Do I leave the scabs on?

It's a virus so antibiotics will not help unless the sores have gotten infected. Keep the sores generally clean--some have said they like iodine, peroxide is also good but both are painful--but be very careful to wear gloves, I've gotten soremouth on my hands a few times and it's not fun. It should run its course and not do much damage, unless the kid has a very weak immune system. You can also administer anything that will help the immune system and it may speed up the process. Be aware that it may come back in the same animal or elsewhere in your flock.

 

[Sweetened]

I am treating 3 bottle babies who have soremouth a d one who doesnt and i have found i am having amazing success with grapefruit seed extract. My older buckling developed a sore on his mouth and it has travelled the entirety of his right side, i didnt start treating him with gse until a doeling caught it with a sore at the corner of her mouth. I immediately, upon noticing the sore, started applying gse to the scab (by squeezing some onto my index finger). I put my finger in her mouth after and wipe it on her tongue. After my other doeling contracted it, i did the same with her and im treating the other buckling, who has no symptoms, with the same dollop of gse on the tongue and he is, thus far, remaining clear.

Hope this helps. Its essentially chicken pox, and itll run its course, but your whole herd is exposed now so keep an eye. Try and milk that doe out as it can make them prone to mastitis from what ive read.

 

[Tiffany L]

My herd is no worries. They're quarantined luckily. Have never been exposed to my herd. Where can I get these gse at? I've heard the mastitis part and this doe only milks out of 1 side (I'm going to assume she may have had this issue in her past). However she will NOT let you milk her. I'd prolly have to hog tie her. Her sore is at the end of her teat

 

[Sweetened]

Can you get those teet drains? Often metal, theyre inserted into the teat and keep it open so it just drains.

Grapefruit seed extract can be purchased at a health food store, often under the name citricidal. I purchase a brand called New Roots, but i live in canada so branding may be different -- citricidal is a name ive seen on us sites though.

Its not really cheap, but has a bajillion uses and is considered one of the nost effective antibiotics, antibacterials and antifungals that doesnt breed resistance in the user (people take it for years aa a preventative). It will turn water yellow and stain fingers and light coloured clothes, as a warning.

Just ask someone at a health food store for it. If you can only find it in capsules, id just pierce the gelcap and use it that way. I purchased mine in liquid form i initially to mix with water.

The scabs they drop can persist in soil for more than 7 years -- any and all bedding should be burned and not added to a conpost pile. People clean with bleach after. Make sure you use gloves or wash hands thoroughly after -- you can catch it and its apperently excruciating with severe cases resulting in skin grafts. Good news though, people dont catch it from people!