# hard lump on goat's face- any ideas?



## ali pearson (Aug 12, 2009)

Hi Everybody- My four year old packgoat Jackie the la mancha/alpine has a new weird bump on his face, above his front molar on the right side of his face. I've noticed on a deer skull that there appears to be some kind of sinus opening right there. He is not acting like it's bugging him, he is eating and chewing cud, and it is not soft or hot like an infection or an abscess. It feels like bone or tooth, actually. It is about the size of a small grape, is attached to the bone, and hasn't changed size or shape in the last four days. He has been in a lot of head butting contests lately, spring and all. 
Anybody know what this might be? and should I take him to the vet?

Thanks for any advice! 

Ali


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## sanhestar (Dec 10, 2008)

Hello,
could be problems with one of his teeth. Or it could be something thorny that has impaled his cheek from the inside and isn't ready to be expelled, yet.


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## ali pearson (Aug 12, 2009)

Thanks Sabine-

I think I'll take him to the vet. I'm afraid it's an abscessed root of a tooth. Except its strange he doesn't seem bothered by it.


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## rtdoyer (May 6, 2010)

We had a 5 year old tog with the same sounding thing last summer. We took him to the vet and he broke it open - it was an abcess. The vet looked inside his mouth and could see a spot where it looked like something had gotten him from the inside. We have Russian Olive Trees with long thorns and the vet thinks the thorn got poked in there. We never could find a thorn. 

The treatment - my husband and I would go out twice a day and pop the abscess and open it up and then squeeze out any puss, give him a shot in the leg (not sure what) and then flush his abscess with a liquid giving to us by the vet. AND then fly spray as it was the heat of the summer.

That goat is fine now - no more abcess, but behavior wise - he is no longer friendly. 

We purchase our boys from a dairy breeder down the road and when we explained what we did she says she has done the same thing to her goats. 

Good luck!
Tonia


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## ali pearson (Aug 12, 2009)

Thanks for the reply, Tonia. I took him to the vet and he said the same thing, abscess from a poke with a stick or something- He said to just leave it alone and it will probably take care of itself. If not, same routine you described.

Ali


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## TDG-Farms (Jul 12, 2013)

Causes of most abscess

1. Tooth infection. Including but not limited to a rotten tooth, foxtail, cheet grass, Russian Olive.
2. A poke from an object that often leaves a bit broken off in the hole.
3. A reaction to a vaccine or other shot giving sub-cutaneously (Sub Q / SQ). These shots are most often given behind the front leg elbow and rib cage.
4. CL (Caseous Lymphadenitis) is a disease that affects a goats lymphatic system, most often characterized by an external abscess - lump. CL manifests itself either internally, externally, or both and is very contagious to all other goats as well as humans. The size of the abscess is largely dependent upon the immune system and overall health of the goat. An abscess that is allowed to rupture will contaminate the ground for many years and infect other goats that come into contact. Likewise, a goat with internal CL can cough out the bacteria and spread it to other goats as well. At the present time, there is not a vaccination that cures or prevents CL in goats. CL as well as CAE are two diseases that goat breeders try in earnest to keep out of their herd. Locations are typically, under the ear behind the jaw, chest area where the front legs meet the chest (forward armpit area), in front of the rear legs where the leg meets the belly. Internal areas are said to be in the lungs and in the udder.


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