# Lump on Jaw



## lenallen (Mar 25, 2009)

One of my 4 yr old wethers has developed a 3/4" lump on his jaw over the past couple months. The lump seems directly below the back of his lips, where they come together. Is this an emergency? Serious outcome? Can you offer any suggestions, please?

Photo below. The lump is easily movable by 1/2" in any direction. Feels hard. Goat shows no sign of pain when I move it or when he eats. Goat appetite, jousting and attitude just fine.

Thank you.
-Lee Alley
BlackHillsPackGoats.com


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## sanhestar (Dec 10, 2008)

Hello,

either sore/broken tooth or foreign body in the inner mucosa of the mouth come to mind. Can you look inside his mouth and check? Or have a vet do it?


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## ryorkies (May 4, 2010)

Can you run your finger between the teeth and lips?
I had a doe years ago get a large horse type alflafa
pellet stuck in there. 

The other thing is to feel it for heat/fever.


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## lenallen (Mar 25, 2009)

Thanks, Sabine and ryorkies (and any one else, please). 
I felt it inside the lip and it is, in fact part of (inside) the skin below the lip. I can get my finger between the lump and his teeth. (Not a safe maneuver!) I'd like to believe it is from an alfalfa stem or such, even though it does not appear extremely tender. If so, do you have any suggestions the best treatment? Ignore it and hope it goes away? Vet? Should we try to draw fluid from it for testing? Thanks very much.
-Lee Alley
Black Hills Pack Goats


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## Nanno (Aug 30, 2009)

Sounds like he may have an abscess. It would be full of pus if you poked it. Our goat had one on his jaw in the exact same place (opposite side) from a halter that rubbed. But I've had horses get them on the jaw when molars are coming in or sometimes for no apparent reason. If it's an abscess, just drain it and clean it a couple times a day and it should go away in a week or so. Antibiotics can help, but I never used any for Cuzco when he had his abscess and it went away very quickly once I started draining it twice a day and squirting in some Betadine. Hopefully that's all this is.


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## lonitamclay (Aug 29, 2009)

I agree it is abscess. I had a doe who got them a lot. I been around goat herds that have them and they can spread to other goats in the herd. I gave my goats some shots for abscess and my doe doesnt have any more. I really dont like giving shots to my animals but sometimes it prevents my other animals to be infected


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## sanhestar (Dec 10, 2008)

lonitamclay said:


> I agree it is abscess. I had a doe who got them a lot. I been around goat herds that have them and they can spread to other goats in the herd. I gave my goats some shots for abscess and my doe doesnt have any more. I really dont like giving shots to my animals but sometimes it prevents my other animals to be infected


Hello,

you refer to a sickness in goats that's called CL. I don't think that's the case here, the location is wrong for a CL abscess and more likely to be caused by a thorn or splinter in the hay/feed.


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## sweetgoatmama (Dec 10, 2008)

Wrong place for a CL abscess. The vet would be able to drain it or remove it but if it's not painful or getting larger it's probably safe to just watch. It's also possible it could be cancerous so poking with a needle is a bad idea since it will tend to make the cancer spread. Any poking should be done by a vet.

But it looks like an encapsulated foreign body to me.


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## Cazz (Jun 9, 2010)

We had a calf with something very similar. We had a look, and although we could see a lump and he didn't like us touching it, it wasn't growing, inflamed or tender on the outside, and we left it be. It disappeared within several months.
Cheers,
Cazz


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