Knots under skin?

[countryacres]

We have 2 young (8 weeks) pygmy/nigerian crosses, both females. They are our first goats. They seem to be getting small, marble-sized knots under their skin. Our neighbor was sure one of them was a boil or something. It had a head on it and after she squeezed it, it produced a small amount of thick yellowish/white pus. We probably wouldn't have let her squeeze it except that she has horses and was addament about taking care of it. None of the other bumps have produced heads. What are they? Our vet just had surgery and won't be available for a while. Is this a normal thing or should we have it seen about?

Thanks for any help!

[Jen H]

Eek! Check the sticky at the top of the page about CL and CAE.

Sorry to say, what you're desribing sounds alot like CL. Definitely get this tested. If your vet is out of commision for awhile, then take a sample and send it off to a veterinary school to find out what it is.

Make sure you keep these goats away from any other ones so they don't pass anything on that might be contagious.

Have you asked the farmer you bought these two from about the lumps? What does he do for them?

I'm sure others will chime in. This isn't something I've had to deal with, thank goodness (I'm knocking on wood right now).

[mary,tx]

If they have been vaccinated, the CDT shot will also usually leave a bump under the skin for quite awhile. I do not know, though, what it would look like if you squeezed it out. We leave them alone. Do they have more than one bump each? Where are the bumps?
mary