# Goat with swollen jaw! Help!



## Frosty1 (Jul 12, 2011)

Tequila (yes, the same one with the clogged milk duct) has a very swollen jaw this morning! I am out to take some pictures now and I will post in a minute. It is only on her right side, and the lump feels hard. It doesn't seem to be bothering her, and I felt in her mouth. I didn't get much of a feel before she bit me, but all I felt was something flat against the bottom of her cheek inside. I think this is normal, but I don't know. What should I do for her?


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## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

Have you ever dealt with bottle jaw? Might be that. Could be something caught in her cheek or a splinter that is causing swelling....could be a bite of some kind...possibly a tooth issue? A few pictures will help. 

Is she still able to chew ok? Acting off? How are her gums and eyelids? And just to be safe you could get her temp. as well.


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## Frosty1 (Jul 12, 2011)

Thanks for the response! Her gums are pink, and she is chewing fine, but she's licking her tongue around a bit. (That could just be that she was hungry) I'm not sure if it's bottle jaw, I read that that is soft, and her swelling is hard. Here's a pic.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Have you actually stuck your finger in her mouth to see if it is a wad of cud? Sometimes they can get a wad of cud stuck. At least if you feel around inside her mouth, you may feel if there is a problem in there.


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## Frosty1 (Jul 12, 2011)

Yes, I got a short feel inside her mouth, but she bit me and sliced my finger open, so I didn't get a very good feel. Lol I just felt something flat up against her cheek, which I believe is just normal mouth shape, right?


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## Frosty1 (Jul 12, 2011)

If I give her some Pen-G to combat possible infection, will it hurt her kids to drink her milk? Thanks!


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## freedomstarfarm (Mar 25, 2011)

_If _it is a infection then Pen G is ok with her nursing kids.


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## Frosty1 (Jul 12, 2011)

Ok thanks!


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## Guest (Apr 13, 2012)

That is a classic case of bottle jaw. I would give 5cc of red cell each day for 3 days and once a week for 2-3 weeks as well as worm her 3 times in 3 days with Ivermectin at the rate of 6cc each day give probiotics after the 3rd worming and follow up in 10 days with another 6cc. I would also give one shot of Penn G at 8cc. I would imagine the worm load to be very high to cause bottle jaw which is a really bad sign that stomach lining is being compromised. When a goat gets to this level of anemia it is very long and hard battle to get them to stay healthy, in my experience. You really need to act on this fast. If her kids are 8 weeks old I would wean them and look at drying her up depending on her condition now. If she is in good condition and you get on top of the anemia you can leave the kids on her and Penn wont hurt them just give the one shot, unless you see a noticeable drop in weight and or appetite where she is Lamanche she should be able to regain her blood levels pretty fast as long as she does not go off feed.


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## Frosty1 (Jul 12, 2011)

Thanks for the response! I thought that bottle jaw was soft, though. Her lump is hard. :chin:


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## Guest (Apr 14, 2012)

It is firm I would guess and not hard like a rock. Give the red cell and it should go down in a couple of days esp if you don't make her bend over to eat. If you can get a fecal run check for Coccidiosis and if she is not wormy then you will need to figure out why she got anemic. You may need a knowledgeable vet to draw blood and see what is going on. I would still go ahead with the treatment I suggested earlier.


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