Need a quick answer on goat with infection (should I lance?)

Lizza · #1 07/26/09, 10:26 PM

My Buck is down and sick. He was fine this morning and is now down. I checked him over and he has an abscess on his side from a wound we did not see before tonight. I am starting him on penicillin right now. My question is should I lance the abscess when I give him his first shot of penicillin or should I wait until I call the vet in the morning? Can't get the vet on the phone tonight. He is up to date on all shots. THANK YOU!

Lizza · #2 07/26/09, 10:29 PM

Wanted to add quickly that we are in the middle of moving and have no where to put him tonight by himself, so he has to stay in his regular goat yard tonight with his two other buck herd mates.

DairyGoatSlave · #3 07/26/09, 10:34 PM

Im sorry, Im not sure on that one, personally I would give him the penn, and some electrolyte water

Lizza · #4 07/26/09, 10:50 PM

Thanks DGS, I'll grab some bounce back.

One more quick question if anyone is around.......trying to decide between Penicillin G Procaine OR Bio-Mycin 200?????? Any votes for either of those?

mpete · #5 07/26/09, 10:55 PM

Biomyicin

Lizza · #6 07/26/09, 10:57 PM

thanks! giving bio-mycin and tetnus anti-toxin in about 5 mintues, thank you!

Lizza · #7 07/27/09, 12:41 AM

We shaved the area to see what we were dealing with and we think that there is a foreign object somehow that got jabbed underneath his skin and is now infected. I didn't lance it or mess with it at all. I applied full strength Benadine to the entrance area just to make myself feel like I did something. We are going to call the vet first thing in the morning and hope he can come out and look him over (and maybe perform a little minor surgery to get out whatever he managed to get in there!!). The infection is about the size of a baseball. My bio-mycin had gone bad so I ended up giving him 10cc's of Penicillin. Also gave him some pro-biotic and tetanus anti-toxin.

His fever was 105.8 and his rumen is working fine as far as I can tell (he pooped while we were looking him over). He just looks like he doesn't feel good at all. I tried to make him as comfortable as possible with new bedding in his hut. We were going to move all the bucks tomorrow but I'm thinking we will have to put that off a few more days until he is feeling better. Hope the vet can fix whatever ails him tomorrow!

HappyFarmer · #8 07/27/09, 04:47 AM

Have you given him something for the fever? If not I would give him some Banamine ASAP if you have it. If not aspririn at least, cool him down with cool water. The other bucks may or may not pick on him if they are left together while he's sick.

I would also open the wound as best I could so it can start draining, and try to remove the foreign object. You don't go into detail what the object may be but it's possible it's deeper than just the skin, be ready in case it is. If the skin is black, as in rotting, and the infection is green & thick, the skin will have to be cut away to the normal skin. Spray furall or other fly repellent to prevent flystyke. If you detect maggots in the wound squirt Ivermec directly into the wound to kill them.

I wouldn't wait for the vet. If this object is what is causing him going down & his fever it's probably a bad infection and needs attention sooner than later. Open it up, remove the object, treat as best you can & the vet can further treat him & stitch him up later.
I am not a vet and my suggestion should be taken with that in mind.
HF

HappyFarmer · #9 07/27/09, 05:15 AM

I logged back on to add 6 hours after the 1st shot of pennicillan give him another shot, then give as directed by your Vet.
HF

Lizza · #10 07/27/09, 02:10 PM

Thank you so much Happy Farmer for the information.

We had the vet out this morning. He had a 1 and 1/2 inch by 1 and 1/2 inch chunk of GLASS in his side. It was hideous, he had black ooze coming out. I ended up with a new vet and I really liked him and think I'm switching to him, he just graduated and doesn't mind coming out. I am glad I didn't start digging in there myself last night though.

So I have a wash he left me with that I need to syringe in to wash it out 1-2 times per day for 4 days. 3 cc's of Banamine once a day for 4 days. 3 cc's of Bio-Mycin, once today, once 2 days from now, and a last shot 4 days from now. He also left a drain in place that I need to pull in about 4 days.

I'm just glad he is going to be ok!

ShyAnne · #11 07/27/09, 02:15 PM

Wow! hope he feels better soon. Weird how those things happen!

Lizza · #12 07/27/09, 02:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ShyAnne

Wow! hope he feels better soon. Weird how those things happen!

I know! I don't know where he got glass but there it was! Boy, you just never know with goats, rule out nothing I guess.

edited: I forgot to write that he did make hamburger of his tissue there in his side where the glass went in because the glass was rubbing but the vet thought that it should heal up nicely, just have a big scar (I guess maybe the hair won't grow back on the scar since it will be pretty large?). Also the vet was able to do everything without sedative, he's a bottle baby buck and not feeling well, so he let him do everything with just Lidocaine.

Wonderland · #13 07/27/09, 02:19 PM

Yikes! Poor boy...I wonder how on earth he managed to get glass in his side?? Hope he heals up good for you

ShyAnne · #14 07/27/09, 02:23 PM

Well if your goats are like mine they rub on everything, and if there is one stray piece of glass they will find it.

I have a creek that runs through my property, when we have heavy rain it overflows into my pasture. You wouldnt believe the trash that ends up in my pasture. So I have to clean sweep my pasture after every rain to track down and remove what I can.

Keep us posted on his recovery.

mpete · #15 07/27/09, 03:03 PM

I am glad his is going to be ok... but glass! WOW, now I have heard it all! Can you tell what kind of glass it was? like beer bottle or window?

Goat Servant · #16 07/27/09, 03:34 PM

Glad you got to the bottom of this! Poor guy.

Lizza · #17 07/27/09, 05:18 PM

Found the glass, it was in a corner of the pen that we didn't see and had to go around the corner in a hidden spot to find it, it use to be covered by bushes so we didn't see it when we moved them in there, well of course they have eaten the bushes and now there is exposed glass. He is doing much better this afternoon so I think we'll move him tonight when it cools down to his new home (we are moving back to our place, we've been in a rental for the last year). I don't want to stress him but the there is still glass in that one corner that I can't get completely out.

Here is his sutures and drain. I take out the sutures in I think 10 days (I'll have to read my instructions).
Need a quick answer on goat with infection (should I lance?) - Goats

Need a quick answer on goat with infection (should I lance?) - Goats

TwosCompany · #18 07/27/09, 05:59 PM

Poor fellow! Isn't it amazing what they'll find?! Hope he gets well soon. Good luck with your move!

Minelson · #19 07/27/09, 06:11 PM

Owie!!! I am so glad he is going to be ok though. I feel for you having to deal with this during a move..I'm moving this week also so I know how you feel..and today I had to take my cat to the vet with a funky eye. Jeesh! If there isn't enough going on.

hoofinitnorth · #20 07/27/09, 06:58 PM

Wow, thanks for the photo! That's terrific!

I just pulled a drain out of my girl who had a huge problem on her belly. What an ordeal. Poor thing is healing now.