# Lump on head



## EmilyZ2012 (Oct 28, 2016)

I just got home from vacation this morning and found this lovely lump on one of my doe's heads. It feels like there's fluid inside. My herd is CL tested and everyone came back negative. I did, however, have a CL positive doe last year, but a vet drained the abscess and I quarantined her and got rid of her the next day. I do have bee hives in my pasture and it's likely she got stung, but I'm not sure.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

I would wait and see. I wouldn't be quick to Lance or anything.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

It may be a bee sting, if it is soft.
Giving benadryl may help.

I agree, don't lance it.


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## EmilyZ2012 (Oct 28, 2016)

I gave Benadryl and wasn't planning on lancing. It's still the same size today. Will bee stings last a while on a goat?


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

You should see some relief by the next day, any swelling going down at all?


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## Suzanne_Tyler (Jul 19, 2014)

How is she?


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## EmilyZ2012 (Oct 28, 2016)

Sorry for no updates. I couldn't get on my account for the longest time for some reason. The lump is still there and it hasn't changed in size or appearance. I'm planning on making a vet appointment to lance it when I find a new vet. My old one quit making farm calls. I'm a little nervous about it now.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Good luck.


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## EmilyZ2012 (Oct 28, 2016)

I found a vet. He's coming next week. I'm almost positive it's CL at this point though. The abscess is starting to lose hair. I don't understand where she got infected. Nobody else is positive and the nightmare I dealt with last year was managed very carefully to avoid infecting anyone else. The goats are in a new pasture this year and I have nowhere else to put them. Any ideas on how to finally put an end to this other than burning the pastures or getting rid of the goats? I don't want to cull her but probably don't have a choice


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## catharina (Mar 17, 2016)

What pretty goats you have! I do hope it's not CL. I suppose you have her quarantined in an easy to sanitize area?


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## EmilyZ2012 (Oct 28, 2016)

Thanks; the only place I can put her is an extra very small pasture that has a lean to that's in rough shape and a fence that one of my potbelly pigs keeps digging under. It's a mess, but I can't keep her in my new barn until I know what I'm dealing with. Unfortunately, she also has a 6 month old daughter that is still nursing.


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## LizWiz (Sep 12, 2017)

I have no idea if this is helpful but I had a sheep with a similar looking bump which lost hair, thankfully the vet said it was a liquid full lump completely harm less! It look weird but I was happy it was okay  I hope yours has the same case, best wishes.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Glad a vet will look at it. 

If it is above the ear on the head area, I really don't think it is CL, not the right location. 
Do know, any type of abscess can bald before ripening. So that isn't an indication of CL. 

Be sure it is tested though, when the vet gets there just in case. 

Any abscess needs to be ripe and soft before opening it up to drain it. If it is done too soon you are not going to get all the bad out of there. If it needs drained.


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## EmilyZ2012 (Oct 28, 2016)

The last doe I had that had a CL positive abscess had it by her tail, which was also not a common place, so I was told it probably wasn't either, so now any bump on any of my goats makes me nervous. This abscess has been soft since it appeared, almost like it's filled with air. I will definitely make sure he sends a culture to be tested. That's good to know about the balding. Thank you for all of your help.


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## catharina (Mar 17, 2016)

Can you put her in your garage?


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

By her tail? Was the goo itself tested from there?
I know a lympnode is a lot lower in the rear area.

Really odd, becasue it isn't a lympnode area at all. 
I wonder if tests results were mixed up somehow? 
It is hard to believe it was CL from there?
Maybe blood test her and see if she is negative or positive so you know for sure, it should read something, if she is, if you still have her. 
I am not doubting you at all, I am questioning the test results. 

If soft all along, I would think hematoma from maybe head butting.


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## EmilyZ2012 (Oct 28, 2016)

When the vet drained the abscess, the pus looked like classic CL and he sent it to UC Davis. Yes, it was on the flank at the base of the tail. There is no lymph node there, yet CL still grew there, so I don't know what to believe anymore. It makes it very hard and confusing. She was also unthrifty. She is gone, unfortunately. I was so excited about her and never even got to breed or milk her. I'd be thrilled if it's hematoma on this doe!


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Yeah wow, it is confusing for sure. 

Praying it is just a hematoma on the doe, I bet it is, but having it tested will let you know for sure. 

Keep me updated.


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## EmilyZ2012 (Oct 28, 2016)

There's a tiny amount of blood coming out of it now.


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## EmilyZ2012 (Oct 28, 2016)




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## EmilyZ2012 (Oct 28, 2016)

It looks like maybe it's all blood under the skin? Do you think I should leave it alone or try to drain/ lance at this point? The vet is coming Tuesday.


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## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

I think I would leave it alone until the vet gets there. Is she in her own pen? ( I think you said she was). Poor girl. And poor you!


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## EmilyZ2012 (Oct 28, 2016)

Yes, she's quarantined and I feel terrible about it. She went from screaming to pitiful whining for her daughter. I won't mess with it unless it bursts. Then, I think I need to flush it out with diluted iodine.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Make sure you save pus to test.


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## EmilyZ2012 (Oct 28, 2016)

I will definitely save some pus if I end up needing to drain.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

I do agree.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Hope it went well today.


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## EmilyZ2012 (Oct 28, 2016)

Vet didn't come and abcsess just exploded everywhere while she was on the driveway waiting. I'm freaking out!


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## EmilyZ2012 (Oct 28, 2016)

It smells absolutely horrific! Like something died in it!


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## Ranger1 (Sep 1, 2014)

EmilyZ2012 said:


> It smells absolutely horrific! Like something died in it!


Fortunately, that usually means that it's actually not CL, but an unrelated infection...


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## EmilyZ2012 (Oct 28, 2016)

Is that for sure? Because it got everywhere and she hates it when anyone touches her head, so she flung it all over me as well.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Get a sample to test.


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## EmilyZ2012 (Oct 28, 2016)

I did; I flushed it with iodine and got a sterile sample; will send out tomorrow. She's going back into quarantine.


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## wifeof1 (Mar 18, 2016)

I bet she feels better tho.


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## EmilyZ2012 (Oct 28, 2016)

wifeof1 said:


> I bet she feels better tho.


I'm sure she does, but I'm even more worried!


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## EmilyZ2012 (Oct 28, 2016)

I administered penicillin to ward off any infection because the hole in her head is quite large. Can I spray the hole with blu kote or vetericyn to keep flies off? It's about 1/8 of and inch wide and is bleeding slightly.


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## Ranger1 (Sep 1, 2014)

EmilyZ2012 said:


> Is that for sure? Because it got everywhere and she hates it when anyone touches her head, so she flung it all over me as well.


No, not for sure, but sometimes.


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## wifeof1 (Mar 18, 2016)

When my goat had lost one of her udders, i cleaned it with betadine solution then applied blue kote to the entire open area. After that dried I sprayed fly repellent. She did fine. What does the vet say, since he missed your appointment?


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## EmilyZ2012 (Oct 28, 2016)

All he said was to flush out and give penicillin. He didn't share my concerns at all and said if I still wanted him to come out, he'd charge emergency prices, which was $200 an hour. I wasn't impressed...


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## wifeof1 (Mar 18, 2016)

Wow. I like TGS better more and more for my goats. He skips your Tuesday aptmt, then wants 200$ for an emergency house call.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

The smell bad is a good thing! No nothing to do with goats is for sure but smell bad is a good sign of infection. The location, to me, seems like she got something either in her ear or eye and it worked its way to there and festered. Do you recall her acting like she had something in her ear or even her eye weeping or anything like that? It could have been from a LONG time ago. 
Personally if you know how to draw blood draw it on her. Even if your not going to cull her, with it bursting it will give you a answer one way or another. If you can't draw blood then I would assume it's cl and keep the goats away from the driveway or any place that she has been before it heals.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

You can send in the pus yourself. You don't need the vet for that.


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## EmilyZ2012 (Oct 28, 2016)

ksalvagno said:


> You can send in the pus yourself. You don't need the vet for that.


That's what I'm doing today. I've got the paperwork filled out and the sample ready and will send it to WADDL when my post office opens.


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## EmilyZ2012 (Oct 28, 2016)

Jessica84 said:


> The smell bad is a good thing! No nothing to do with goats is for sure but smell bad is a good sign of infection. The location, to me, seems like she got something either in her ear or eye and it worked its way to there and festered. Do you recall her acting like she had something in her ear or even her eye weeping or anything like that? It could have been from a LONG time ago.
> Personally if you know how to draw blood draw it on her. Even if your not going to cull her, with it bursting it will give you a answer one way or another. If you can't draw blood then I would assume it's cl and keep the goats away from the driveway or any place that she has been before it heals.


She does head butt a lot and last night when I gave her shot, I noticed her left eye(same side as abscess) had a weird green metallic spot on it when looked at with a flashlight. I can't see anything abnormal without a flashlight. Could this be connected and be a sign of trauma?


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Maybe but I've only seen it being more of a blue hazy color, almost like there's a little film on part of the eye. But you are able to send the pus in, that is awesome and if it comes back negative I would go ahead and bet that it is related to trauma. I'm so rooting its negative for you!!!


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## bamaherd (Jun 14, 2017)

Bless her heart! We will pray for your sweet girl.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

I agree, if it smell bad, it is most likely not CL. 
Glad you are sending in the goo in, it will let you know for sure.

I would flush it with iodine/water, make a light tea color and flush it daily 2 x a day, until it shrinks up, keep it open to drain, before flushing it out, remove any scab and flush well a few times. You can use a fly spray on it after or use blue spray. 
Before you flush it, be sure to squeeze it from all angles to get out any pus that remains. Do it daily until there is a day there is no more then you can stop squeezing on it, but continue to flush it out.

You can do a series of antibiotics shots as well. 

Good luck.


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## EmilyZ2012 (Oct 28, 2016)

bamaherd said:


> Bless her heart! We will pray for your sweet girl.


Thank you!


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## EmilyZ2012 (Oct 28, 2016)

toth boer goats said:


> I agree, if it smell bad, it is most likely not CL.
> Glad you are sending in the goo in, it will let you know for sure.
> 
> I would flush it with iodine/water, make a light tea color and flush it daily 2 x a day, until it shrinks up, keep it open to drain, before flushing it out, remove any scab and flush well a few times. You can use a fly spray on it after or use blue spray.
> ...


I will be sure to do the above. Thank you very much for helping me out! I should have the test results by Monday or Tuesday.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

You bet.


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## EmilyZ2012 (Oct 28, 2016)

While waiting on pus test results, I wanted to see what the opinions are for her eye. It's definitely not normal looking and the other one looks fine. Could this be the result of head trauma?


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## Idahogoats (Sep 5, 2016)

Wow that is nasty looking. I wonder if injecting it with tea tree oil will help. Try it for 3 to 4 days. Good luck. My friend who runs a horse rescue Ranch has great luck with that!!


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## Ranger1 (Sep 1, 2014)

Idahogoats said:


> Wow that is nasty looking. I wonder if injecting it with tea tree oil will help. Try it for 3 to 4 days. Good luck. My friend who runs a horse rescue Ranch has great luck with that!!


Are you replying to the eye picture, or the abscess?


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Yep it looks like the film I was talking about. It's kinda like a scar. Her eye is not runny (right??) so I would say she either had pink eye or something in there at one time......it being on the same side as that lump I'm still voting if the result comes back negative it's related


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

I agree with Jessica84.

Looks weird, the way it showing white part above her colored area.


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## EmilyZ2012 (Oct 28, 2016)

The eye is not runny and I hadn't noticed anything wrong with it until the abscess appeared.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

I wonder if the abscess as huge as it was, put pressure on her eye socket or brain area to her eye causing that. Hopefully with the abscess down and out of there, her eye will relax and go back to normal. I am hoping anyway.


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## Idahogoats (Sep 5, 2016)

The abscess. Poor baby. Have you seen a vet?


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## Idahogoats (Sep 5, 2016)

EmilyZ2012 said:


> Thank you!


If you can mix olive oil and tea tree oil together, you can put that on it to repel flies and help disinfect it. The tea tree oil works great on bad wounds so as you are flushing out infection try that. I volunteer at Orphan Acres Horse rescue and he has even injected tea tree oil into bad wounds. Might be hard since on her head. by her eye. Hope she gets better.


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## EmilyZ2012 (Oct 28, 2016)

Idahogoats said:


> The abscess. Poor baby. Have you seen a vet?


I tried; things didn't go well


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## EmilyZ2012 (Oct 28, 2016)

I've been flushing with vetericyn and then spraying with blu kote once a day and it looks great! I'm nervous about putting essential oils so close to an eye, especially since she throws her head around when I clean it. I'm still waiting on results. I don't know why it's taking so long, but I couldn't handle her in quarantine anymore, so I let her out today. She was totally stressed out and lost a lot of weight and cried all day every day.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Glad she is doing better.


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## Idahogoats (Sep 5, 2016)

I see your treatment is working. Glad she is better. Did u figure out how this happened?


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## EmilyZ2012 (Oct 28, 2016)

Idahogoats said:


> I see your treatment is working. Glad she is better. Did u figure out how this happened?


I'm almost positive she was head butted really hard and caused eye trauma and a hematoma.


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## EmilyZ2012 (Oct 28, 2016)

I just got the test results and they did not identify any CL bacterium!!! I'm so glad this is finally over!


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## Suzanne_Tyler (Jul 19, 2014)

That is great news!!


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Yay!!! That is wonderful. Now you can breath lol


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## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

Yay! I hope she heals up well for you and you can put all this behind you! :run:


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Awesome news, congrats, I knew it wasn't CL.


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