Questions about blood tests

[Jillis]

I am hoping to get answers from some of you experienced folks out there!

Part of my preparation for breeding is having my entire herd tested for anything they can be tested for in the lines of Johnes, CL and CAE.

I know there are blood tests for CAE and Johnes. I think I've read that you can test for CL with a blood test as well.

I am very worried, because for the past several months my goats have been the picture of health. But this week I found a small lump on the neck of one of my goats. It is in a very suspicious location. This is a beautiful 10 month old doeling that is a Nubian/LaMancha cross. She is beautiful, elegant and intelligent with a very friendly personality. I have had her since she was a day old! This lump is small. It is located on the side, midway down her neck, next to her windpipe area. This means it is not an injection bump. I would like to have this tested, but if it is a CL abcess, won't that open it and cause it to drain infectious pus?

I found out too late that the herd where I got her and 13 other doelings has CL and CAE in its midst. The babies are born in a huge freestall area. They fall nosefirst into muck. The first time I visited this barn it was clean. Other visits, especially in the busy time of kidding (they have almost 300 goats!), it can get messy. They get their first colostrum, and then are separated into kid pens and the ones they aren't keeping get sold.

I will cull those who are infected.

One of my main questions is:
I want to do this as inexpensively as possible. I have a friend who can draw blood from animals. If we do the drawinf ourselves, where is the best place to send the samples, how are they sent, and what is the best test method, ELISA, or something else?

I appreciate all the info I can get on this procedure.

TIA!

[Pamela Smith]

I test at Washington State. Here is a link to their web site.

http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/depts_waddl/

You can test for CL from blood. I just tested my two new bucks. Neg on CAE and CL. Hope your tests come out neg as well.

[susanne]

jillis i test at WAddl too. for your peace of mind call them. ask every question than comes into your mind. john everman is the guy you want to talk to.
in the meantime i would not wait until the lump gets bigger. get it removed from your vet and have the lump tested. seperate her until you get your test result back.it is still the possibility that she got a splinter in there from rubbing on some wood.
good luck

[mygoat]

I'm testing through the pan american vet labs in texas. I'm testing for CAE and CL... Just need to go collect some more blood here!

[moonspinner]

I test through Cornell. They used to only do AGID but now have the ELISA. What does the lump look and feel like? Immovable or can you roll it around? Hard or swishy? Is it beneath the skin or can you see where it might burst? That's too bad about the herd you got the goat from.

[goatedintoit]

I have started using the PCR test. You can have that done at Colorado State University. This test actually test for the virus, not the antibodies for the virus.

You can get more info here:

http://www.cybergoat.com/AnimalHealth/CAEPCR.html

[Jillis]

Thank you so much everyone!

Details on how to send it would be appreciated...or will that info be on the websites?