Goat problem ... what is it???

[lacesout]

Hi All ...

I just noticed our favorite goat has a strange soft 'bulge' on her right side (just in front of her hipbone) when she places her front feet on something (ie me) and stands up. It looks like a huge hernia??? She is one year old and I have never noticed this before. She appears to be in excellent health and is eating/acting normally. It looks kind of alarming - it does not look like the normal lumpy goat stomach. Can anyone offer any insight into what this could be. She has not been injured that I know of. It is about 3 inches in diameter and bulges out when she stands up and is occasionally visible when she runs.

If anyone has any ideas about this I would really appreciate it.

Thanks!!!!
Lynn in Western Colorado

[dscott7972]

It could be a fatty tumer (probably not dangerous and left alone) or something else (I forgot the name) that if oozes can infect the rest of the herd (if you have other goat). The vet will cut it open (or you can) and squeeze out the puss that will look like cottage cheese. Then you will need to clean out stahl and bleach walls, etc.
Also, if you inject needles in the same place then it can get a permenant bulge also.
Those are my guesses without seeing it, someone else may have a better idea.


"Had God wanted man to milk cows HE would have given us four hands, HE didn't, therefore I milk goats"

[lacesout]

Thanks - I guess it could be a fatty tumor. I can tell from the consistancy it is not an abcess. To me it looks like a hernia - a bulge of goat inards squishing out from between the muscles. That's my completely unededucated guess and I may be totally wrong. I am going to call the vet tomorrow. We love this goat. Her name is 'Goat-Baby' (we are real original with names) and she has been wormed (Ivomec and Safeguard, and is current on vacs). She is fed alfalfa plus a commercial goat feed with black oil sunflower seeds, and gets to browse for most of the day. She looks great but the bulge is really noticeable. I can't say when she got it but I saw it today ... so I am guessing it was recent because I can't believe I could have missed it for long.

Any other thoughts/ideas are truly appreciated.