NOT a hernia! An abcess!

Jillis · #1 10/14/05, 11:39 PM

I took little Fawn to the vet this am, and I am so glad I did. I wasn't a hernia, it was a big nasty abcess. They opened it and cleaned it all out.
Guess what I get to do. Give her shots of penicillin in the neck, and flush the wound with an iodine solution. She yells so loud my ears ring. Next time I am wearing ear plugs. I am NOT good at giving goats shots! I tried for the first time tonight. Finally, my very experienced friend just did it, blindingly fast. A lot faster than the vet...meanwhile I was shaking and my stomach was in big knots! I was able to stick the syringe in the hole in her belly and flush the wound though. Took 2 people to hold a 10 lb. 5 week old doeling.
I MUST learn how to do this if I am going to have goats! Pray for me, will you guys? I need

Blessings, Jillis

mpillow · #2 10/15/05, 06:07 AM

You may want to test for CL.....see the links at top of page

Goat Freak · #3 10/15/05, 08:55 AM

I am so sorry. Just think though, when all of this is over she should be perfectly fine. Sure hope that she gets better. See ya, bye.

Jen H · #4 10/15/05, 11:24 AM

Those buggers can be strong and slippery. I had to round up 3 male neighbors to hold down a 50 lb goat so I could doctor up his infected ear. They basically had to sit on him.

Giving shots just takes practice. As time goes on you'll get faster and better at it. My goats mostly complain about being held, they don't seem to notice the actual needle at all.

Jillis · #5 10/17/05, 06:56 AM

I had thought of CL, mpillow---vet said she was too young for it to show, also it is not in a lymph node....PHEW!!!
I am getting better at the shots!

The next one after my friend did it came from our other farmer friend who came to pick up some chickens from me. He also did it so fast I couldn't even see it. That night I did it for the first time...but I got a little smart.
I had my son hold her and give her the bottle of milk she gets at night...because I was a little slow, not knowing how much resistance there would be, she gave a little milk-muffled maaa and it was done.
The next one, same "technique" and not a peep out of her!
What got me was my son was genuinely proud of....the goat! For not making a sound when she got the shot!
Nobody seems to understand how big a deal this is to me! Or my chicken's first egg either! I have to come here to find people equally obsessed as I am with my animals!

Blessings, Jillis!

Teacupliz · #6 10/17/05, 06:45 PM

I would still test the puss. Keep her away from other animals, burn anything that touches the puss. Your vet is wrong she is not to young. Liz

dlangland · #7 10/17/05, 06:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jillis

I took little Fawn to the vet this am, and I am so glad I did. I wasn't a hernia, it was a big nasty abcess. They opened it and cleaned it all out.
Guess what I get to do. Give her shots of penicillin in the neck, and flush the wound with an iodine solution. She yells so loud my ears ring. Next time I am wearing ear plugs. I am NOT good at giving goats shots! I tried for the first time tonight. Finally, my very experienced friend just did it, blindingly fast. A lot faster than the vet...meanwhile I was shaking and my stomach was in big knots! I was able to stick the syringe in the hole in her belly and flush the wound though. Took 2 people to hold a 10 lb. 5 week old doeling.
I MUST learn how to do this if I am going to have goats! Pray for me, will you guys? I need

Blessings, Jillis

I had that same abcess problem on one of my Nubians. A sheep farmer friend told me the name of the disease, which was this goat's case, which I confirmed in one of my old vet books. Can't remember the name without looking it up again. In this case it was a chronic disease, rather than a one-time occurance. I preferred help but eventually learned to flush the wound wth peroxide by myself by tying her to the barn coral, and yes, sitting on her. Takes a lot of strenght and you have to go extremely fast. Don't blink...just do it. With shots, I would do the same thing, but tie her, and have someone else sit on her, not putting weight on her of course. And keep a pliers handy in case she jolts and bends the needle.

shelljo · #8 10/18/05, 08:49 AM

Jills

It gets easier. I promise. You get better and more confident. You get more aggressive and less afraid. You're doing find.

One of my girls popped her absess from the 7-way vaccination. I squeezed the puss out and flushed it with iodine. She doesn't like me very well, but I was so proud of myself! (And, being the sicko I am, I kinda liked squeezing that thick nasty puss out...)