# Lump on cheek



## goatiegurl*Oh (Nov 11, 2007)

I bought my doeling not knowing that she had what I later thought was an absess on her cheek. I took her to my vet thinking it was either an absess that needed opened or CL and was told that it wasn't an absess and he doesn't think it's CL because it's not near enough to the lymph nodes. So he thought that she had bit her cheek and it was infected and told me to do a hot compress twice a day and that it should clear up in about a week. I did the epson salt/water compresses for two weeks without results, so was wondering if possibly it was because by the time I got to the barn the water was just warm rather than hot, or is it something else? Has anyone seen anything that looks like this? I know the pics aren't the best. Otherwise she's very healthy and active, eats, plays, etc. I was really hoping to show her, she has the best conformation of all my goats but I know I won't be able to show her unless this clears up. Either way, as soon as the doelings are old enough I will be testing all my goats for CAE/CL.


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## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

I'd put a glove on and see if you can't feel around in her mouth back there. Even though the vet didn't think CL...just be precautious and pretend it is. If she were mine, i'd separate and try and figure out what it is...lance it if it looks like it's going to burst. And if you get to that point, send the fluid or puss into a lab for testing just to be safe.


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## packhillboers (Feb 2, 2011)

Looks like the cud area. Did your vet check inside too? he probably did.


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## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

Salivary cyst?


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## goatiegurl*Oh (Nov 11, 2007)

Yes he did, he said it's on the inside. What's a salivary cyst and how do you treat it?


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## goatiegurl*Oh (Nov 11, 2007)

*bump*


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

I have never had to deal with it but I would suggest doing a search on the salivary cyst.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

All that needs to be done on a salivary cyst is to pull the fluid out, if thats what it is. I have only had one and it was about 5X that size.


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## goatiegurl*Oh (Nov 11, 2007)

Oh wow :shocked: Well I will have to borrow some gloves from work so I can really examine her hehe I will feel around her mouth and see what I think and do some research on cysts. If it is a cyst then you just put a needle with a syringe in it to withdraw the fluid?


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

> Oh wow :shocked: Well I will have to borrow some gloves from work so I can really examine her hehe I will feel around her mouth and see what I think and do some research on cysts. If it is a cyst then you just put a needle with a syringe in it to withdraw the fluid?


 If the fluid is clear....it is a salivary cyst....if it is not clear...could be another type of cyst or abscess. sometimes they do come back....

Tie the goat securely and Get a good size needle/ syringe and see what color it is... or if you get fluid or goo of any kind....

I would keep a sample and have it tested if it is not clear....


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## goatiegurl*Oh (Nov 11, 2007)

Ok, I will have a helper this weekend so will give that a try... I think we still have some needles/syringes


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

:hug:


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## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

Let us know how it goes. :hug:


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## goatiegurl*Oh (Nov 11, 2007)

Well my helper ended up having to work so we will see, either Thurs or next weekend then but I will let you guys know. I hope that's all it is


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## JessaLynn (Aug 30, 2009)

We have something similar right now with one of my does but it's located lower on the jaw and I think it's a tooth abscess from her chewing a copper bolus because it happend right after that overnight. It's hard opening up her mouth to see but her molar looks bad where it's located so got to call the vet to see how to treat it.Never a dull moment with these goats.Always something :shrug:


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## goatiegurl*Oh (Nov 11, 2007)

We didn't get anything to come out :? A couple drops of blood but that was it. We even tried to play around with it and see if we could loosen it up a little but still nothing, the lump is hard.


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## Utterly Blessed Farm (Dec 21, 2011)

I was thinking about you and this post over the weekend because we went to our local fair goat show and I helped two different people show who had does with this same type of lump. One doe had a foxtail in that spot and her owner had shaved the area and lanced it and it was healing. The other still had a small walnut sized lump that was hard and had not abscessed yet but the thought was that she had bitten her cheek from the inside and it was healing slowly. Both of the owners said it was too high up on the cheek (like your photo) to be CL but if there was cream cheese like pus (sorry for that visual) you need to have it tested. I hope yours turns out to be something easy and not bad. :hug:


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## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

Hmm...that is odd. How is the lump feeling now...like super hard or kind of squishy or ? Is it growing, decreasing, or staying the same in size?


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## goatiegurl*Oh (Nov 11, 2007)

It's hard, it doesn't squish or move at all and I think it's getting a little bigger, but she's growing to so I don't know if it's just that she's growing so it looks bigger or it really is getting bigger. My boyfriend who doesn't see her every day like I do thinks it looks the same size so ?? but deff not getting smaller.


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## clearwtrbeach (May 10, 2012)

The foxtail sounds possible, had a dog in the vet clinic years ago that was similar- I don't know if you have those around?
As for it getting bigger, they have skin sharpies or even a regular sharpie you can draw a circle around it for reference. Just a thought- I vet tech years and working in skin cancer- hence drawing on people


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## goatiegurl*Oh (Nov 11, 2007)

I don't think so, she was in a small pen when I got her which didn't have weeds or anything in it really because there were 20+ kids in the pen.

Could try marking it with a sharpie


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

Be aware that since you tapped it, it will likely grow and abcess regardless of how well you cleaned the area beforehand, opening the skin allows bacteria to enter.


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## goatiegurl*Oh (Nov 11, 2007)

Any more ideas? Would I ever be able to show her with this, even once I do have her tested? I got her mainly for showing so that would be a big let down if I wont be able to. Sorry haven't been on, I've been really busy the past few weeks but hopefully things will calm back down a little now.


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## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

I don't have anymore ideas really. Have you talked with your vet more about it? And no, you couldn't show her like that. A vet probably wouldn't clear her anyway at the show and you also wouldn't want people to think your goat(s) have CL if they saw her.


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## goatiegurl*Oh (Nov 11, 2007)

No I haven't yet, I don't want to make him feel like I'm saying he was wrong or him telling me I didn't do the treatment right but . Otherwise she's healthy, eating, and growing well but I just want to know what this is and how to get it to go away. I was so excited about her because she's so nice conformationally. That's what I thought, I wouldn't even be allowed to bring her to the grounds and even if I was allowed to bring her in everyone would think my goats have diseases. :sigh:


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## citylights (Jul 3, 2009)

I've had a couple of goats with abcesses in their cheek area like that. I feed oat hay and sometimes it will pierce and create an abcess. I KNOW it's not CL, because I test my herd (and it's closed) and I've tested the fluid from the abcess. I'll see if I can find a picture of mine with one...


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

What part of Ohio are you in and what vet do you use?


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## marilyn (Sep 19, 2012)

We went through the same problem with one of our doelings this summer. My doelings knot was on the lower jaw area. It looks like your might be on the top. My herd is tested for CL but it was still a worry. Everything that I found said not to tap it with a needle if you suspect a salivary cyst. So I took mine into my vet. He suspected a sticker or cheat grass. Sent me home to see if it festered. It never festered and at one time got smaller and was hard to find. After it got large again I took her back into my vet and told him I wanted it removed. Before she went into surgery he tried to tap it, but could get nothing out. She came through the surgery just fine. The knot was a solid mass, nothing soft in the center, so we sent it off to the lab just to find out what it was for sure. The results from the lab was chronic infection. Nothing contagous or infectous. My vet felt that it was a sticker or something, that instead of festering and working out, the body incapsulated it. It always felt rock hard to the touch. Not sure if this is what you are dealing with but it sounds very similar.


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## goatiegurl*Oh (Nov 11, 2007)

I am in NE Ohio and use John Walters.

Marilyn- Yes, it sounds like that. It is a solid mass and has never gotten smaller. About how much would the surgery be though?


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

You would have to call your vet and see. The price range varies so much between vets.


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## sweetgoats (Oct 18, 2007)

Did I miss it? How did you lance it or whatever? Did you just use a needle? 

I had to use a scapel and cut a slit in the spot and then squueze it. Maybe you did do that, if so I am sorry I missed that,


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## goatiegurl*Oh (Nov 11, 2007)

Ok, maybe have him look at her again soon and see what he thinks and if he could do a surgery/if so what the price would be. If it would be to much, I'm considering just taking her to the sale. It would be a loss but cheaper than feeding her all winter and still never being able to show her or even advertise her because people wouldn't want to buy her and would think my goats all have diseases.

and yes, I did use a needle but got nothing out of it. It's completely solid


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## goatiegurl*Oh (Nov 11, 2007)

So in the past week or so this thing has really grown. It is huge and looks like it could burst. Upon feeling it it's tight and full but could be fluid in there? She's separated from the other goats just in case, but what would you do? Try again to get fluid and if so send it to the lab? If there is fluid, can I tell by looking at it what it is? Or do you think its to risky to open it up in case it would be CL? If it is CL, would she be safe to eat?


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## goatiegurl*Oh (Nov 11, 2007)

Sorry the pics are so big, photobucket isn't letting me resize them for some reason.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Looks like possibly a Salivary gland abscess, you can get a big needle and syringe and see what you get out of it, or if you can get anything out at all. If it is salivary, you will get clear liquid and do not cut into it. If the stuff stinks, it is infection from foreign object or injury. or staff infection. If you want a vet to check it out, I would and if it looks suspicious get it tested.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

At this point, I would be getting the vet out.


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## Di (Jan 29, 2008)

Sometimes, like it or not, we must call a vet. I think this is one of them. Please get her into the vet's and let's hope they can figure it out. That is a scary looking abscess! I'm so sorry you have to deal with this! Please keep up utd on what the vet says. Every time something new comes up we all learn. Your experience will help another goat herd.


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## goatiegurl*Oh (Nov 11, 2007)

We have an appointment for 4:30 this evening, hopefully this can finally be figured out

I also have wanted to test her for CL/CAE as a precaution. I don't know the proper blood handling/ shipping procedures, so could I take him a tube and have him draw the blood and send it out tommorrow? If so, does the blood need to be refrigerated? How do you keep it cool to ship if so? Thank you


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Just keep the blood in the refrigerator until you mail it. Good luck at the vet.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

The vet should be able to do all of that for you.


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## goatiegurl*Oh (Nov 11, 2007)

Maybe I should wait on the bloodwork. It looks like it's a $10 fee per time you send a sample in and I want to do the rest of my goats to, but I can't send out for preg tests until the end of the month.

Thank you, I hope he can do something for her. I would think so, as large as it has gotten..


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Good luck


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## goatiegurl*Oh (Nov 11, 2007)

He said to leave it alone and it should burst on its own within 2-3 days. He said he could have lanced it but it would drain better if we let it open on its own, then once it does just put peroxide on it.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Is he suggesting to test the pus for CL? You may want to do that.


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## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

If it is CL the pus could infect the ground for years ... for that reason I wouldn't want it to burst on its own.


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## goatiegurl*Oh (Nov 11, 2007)

No, he said it wasn't in the right area for it to be CL but I am going to test all of my goats anyway. He said he thinks it was prob caused by a piece of hay or something getting stuck in there or it was an old injury. It did open on its own yesterday and looks much better.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Glad it finally burst for you. Hopefully now you can get it cleared up.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

:hug:


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## goatiegurl*Oh (Nov 11, 2007)

Thanks, I'm glad to. Yeah, hopefully it'll be all healed up soon.


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## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

Phew! Glad it cleaned out for you. Any cheesy green or yellow looking discharge?


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## goatiegurl*Oh (Nov 11, 2007)

Sorry, haven't been on in a while. However, everything cleaned up quickly and she has healed well


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## cynthialynnf79 (Jul 5, 2018)

I have a goat that looks like this. Did you ever figure out what that was?


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

This is an old thread from 2012.


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