Wethers with fluid on knees

DW Farms · #1 05/31/08, 01:39 PM

Ive got 2 market wethers that were born in Feb, Both have fluid right below the calus spot on the knee, Any ideas, Its no hot, and its soft. Ive been treating them for foot rot, could that have anything to do with it?

Adam

Minelson · #2 05/31/08, 02:40 PM

Just guessing here and hoping someone with more experience will chime in...I would think that if there is a problem with the hooves then the body would send fluid in that direction for healing and maybe there is some kind of area around the knees that easily collects fluids. Is the hoof rot all better yet?

Vicki McGaugh TX Nubians · #3 05/31/08, 04:03 PM

Even never having their feet trimmed since Feburary I have never seen foot rot or CAE in a kid this young. Now as yearlings yes. One having swellings is likely an injury but both? You are likely dealing with mycoplasma and they are not to old for joint ill either, but once again both? Mystery.

I don't recognize you to know if you are a seasoned goat owner or not, you sure it's swelling? Have you taken their temp?

I would opt for doing nothing rather then guessing, watching it to see what happens and to see if their hocks or other knees become involved, or if they walk like their shoulders or hips hurt them...mycoplasma which they came to you with from their dam. I would also have someone look at them, I know how hard it is to get good pictures that you can really see things like this, but perhaps try? Vicki

DW Farms · #4 05/31/08, 09:08 PM

Ive had goats for a bout 10 years, but this is the first year for raising little ones. To be honest, I dont know if its foot rot im treating, Alls I know is in between there hooves, is smells and its looks rare with a white apperence, Ive been treating them with the Hoove and Heal and they are getting better. The lump below the knee, feels like an abcess of some sort, It does seem a little painful when messed with. We have had a lot of rain and I asssume that is where they have gotten the foot infection from. So I dont know.

Adam

Minelson · #5 05/31/08, 09:17 PM

If it were just fluid in there, I wouldn't think it would feel painful when messed with. Poor little guys. Like Vicki said, take their temp...maybe they have some kind of infection going on. And take a picture if you can. Do you have a good goat vet?

DW Farms · #6 06/01/08, 09:49 PM

Well, I finally stuck a needle in the pouch of the one that was limping, I got some stuff out, but it was like a dirt water color and some water blood, There was no pus or mucus. Im still worried because we have our county weigh in for the farm tommorow, and I dpnt want people to think I do take care of them. Should I start him on a round on penicillen?

Adam

Minelson · #7 06/01/08, 10:02 PM

Do you have a vet? This is just too weird that both of them have this going on. Especially if one is limping.

DW Farms · #8 06/01/08, 10:04 PM

Yes, There is a vet, but he knows very little about goats. Im going to ask some long time breeders tommrow and see what they have to say.

Adam

Minelson · #9 06/01/08, 10:07 PM

That's a good idea...hopefully they will know by looking at it. Keep us posted on what they think.

Vicki McGaugh TX Nubians · #10 06/01/08, 10:16 PM

Other than to keep infection out of the draining of the abscess, pennicillin is rarely the drug of choice for anything.

Tetracycline is the drug if you really do have hoofrot. You have some major problems going on if young ones like this have foot rot already. Especially enough to go systemic and cause abscess like this.

But if you drained an abscess from an infection it would not have dried blood in it. That would only be from an injury. Are they ramming their knees standing on something all the time, say to eat or drink? Jumping down on something? I know I had this horrible time of having these little cuts on my does flanks, I had no idea what it was and was starting to really look carefully at my dog, who I trusted. It turned out to be a piece of metal at the end of the feeder, they simply took turns eating at the end of the feeder and it would poke them on the flank.....

If your that muddy, built platforms to get them up out of the muck. If you are not using copper supplementation in your mineral do so, we got rid of all our feet problems by upping the copper in our mineral and bolusing our bucks. But once again, nothing like this in our kids that young. So you have me stumped. Vicki

DW Farms · #11 06/01/08, 10:19 PM

When can I get Tetracycline? Would it be a good idea to treat all the goats. And it is an injection?

Adam

DW Farms · #12 06/01/08, 10:24 PM

Now, that I did a ltitle research, They didnt have foot rot. But I dont know what it is called. They had some sort of white mucus in between the toes. Foot Scaled, maybe?

waygr00vy · #13 06/02/08, 05:31 AM

I know with horses if we have a ton of rain and they have to be standing in a lot of water/muck they sometimes will get "stocked up" with swelling in their lower legs. I would be careful poking too many needles in their, that close to the joint if it isn't an infection now it could easily become one.