sore mouth viral infection?

[silvergirl]

Our young buck has an abcess on the corner of his mouth and when I asked my vet about it he said it was "sore mouth", a viral infection that goats get that is incurable, they only get it once, and then they are immune, but the scabs that fall off lay in the ground and can infect new goats for up to four years... I just thought the little guy had chewed on some wire that was in his pen and got an infection... the vet was so certain it was this sore mouth thing he didn't even want to see Sheriff... the thing is - our little guy hasn't been exposed to any other goats, except our Sadie, and she's never had any hint of this stuff, so I don't know where he would have picked up the virus... any thoughts? input? ideas? solutions?
silvergirl

[thatcompchick]

How could he diagnose it without seeing the abscess? Certainly you'd want to swab it or otherwise test it. Just wear gloves around this guy when he has this open sore or you'll get it <yuk>

Soremouth is one of those insidious?sp? diseases that can live in the soil (or on equipment, truck tires, yadda yadda) for 10 years or so. Which means, if it is sore mouth, your ground is infected.

Look up 'orf' online for more information about it - there are several different varieties - and it isn't as horrible, as the secondary infections that results from the ulcerations!!! There is a vax, not sure of off-label goat use for it though.

Good luck!

Andrea

[Vicki McGaugh TX Nubians]

It's just a nusiance like pinkeye or ringworm. If it cracks and bleeds simply spray it with a litte absorbine junior, some tea tree oil or even listerine. You can catch this, don't swab with anything without gloves and don't let anything get into the trash...why I like to spray. Your vet was correct in not charging you a vet visit for something that you can't do anything about, even if it is a sticker puncture wound, it certainly isn't anything to do with it but keep it clean. Vicki

[oceanmist]

Originally Posted by Vicki McGaugh TX Nubians

It's just a nusiance like pinkeye or ringworm. If it cracks and bleeds simply spray it with a litte absorbine junior, some tea tree oil or even listerine. You can catch this, don't swab with anything without gloves and don't let anything get into the trash...why I like to spray. Your vet was correct in not charging you a vet visit for something that you can't do anything about, even if it is a sticker puncture wound, it certainly isn't anything to do with it but keep it clean. Vicki

sore mouth is sooo easy to treat in that stage... if it is soremouth and I can't figure how your vet came to that conclusion without seeing the animal.. but anyway just get some gentian violet from your pharmacy or health food store, or go to the feed store and get some blue-kote... this will clear it up in just a couple days...

I don't know how big your herd is, but if it's just the 2 goats then they will develop an immunity once they have it.. like chicken pox...
any new goats will probably develop it somewhere down the line unless they've already been exposed, so just dab some blue-kote on them when they start showing symptoms...

the time when it will really be a problem is if a doe were to get in on her bag while nursing a kid...

hope the buck is doing okay... Misty