I'm worried... A Lump or CL?

[princessferf]

I'm freaking out a little.  On Saturday I was out with Charlie the goat and as I was petting him I noticed a lump on the left side of his neck.  I'm not noticing any puncture holes in it and it seems to have just appeared overnight.  It was still there yesterday, but I wasn't messing with it.

Of course I immediately thought of CL and have been a little bit panicked.  The lump is small (about the size of a dime), hard and doesn't exactly appear to be attached to the skin on the inside.  

He has had the C/DT vaccination in July and a booster on August 11th.  

Of course since he was found as a stray in July, we don't know his history.  

Since we've had him (arrived July 10th), he's had numerous injections (including several shots of antibiotic after being castrated), and I believe one of the spots was in his neck (I can't remember exactly, argh).

Do you think I should have him tested?  Charlie is simply a wether we're keeping as a "pet", but we are planning to add 2 more wethers in October.  

[shellymay]

Yes some shots will have a lump as a side effect from said shot........NO I wouldn't have it tested, why? because you said you don't plan on breeding, breeding and selling kid goats would be a reason to have it tested, if not breeding then no reason......This will also give more time to see if lump does disappear in a month or so if it was caused by shot.....  

[mzgarden]

Agree with Shellymay - you have time to see what happens since you're not going to be breeding. I feel for you though - every time one of my goats does something odd, I stop and stare at them until I figure it out. Goats do that to us, lol.

[here to stay]

I would keep an eye on it. If it grows and looks ready to pop open, I would have the pus cultured.

One of my first goats had CL and, as she was already pregnant when it ruptured and I found out, I pulled the female kid before she hit the ground. It did no good. She had CL too despite vaccinations.

It's a long, sad story and left me pretty paranoid. So I take it seriously enough to test. But frankly most lumps are not CL. And ones from shots never seem to rupture anyway.

[princessferf]

Ok, another dumb question. How long does a lump take to develop if it is caused by a shot?

Also, could it be a bug bite of some kind? Are goats allergic to mosquito bites like humans are?

In the horrible event it is CL, I don't want to add more wethers to our place. What would you do in this situation?

[shellymay]

Start here......this is a chart with common places of CL, not sure on his neck as you said his is but a picture would help us out....

www.google.com/search?q=cl+locations+in+goats&tbm=isch&tbs=rimg:CRp6-LzqH3xgIjg1IiPR-YT9RuvLuhZl_1rKw8jTkNsECFKXjKXLF3hXy-qQlduF5mufkXPOpQIXEw2aZHYEAZG87

This chart NOTICE the needle/syringe in the picture, these locations are common places that shots are given and lumps can appear later.....Sorry I have no exact time frame on your lump and how long after shot it might appear, In my honest opinion the SIZE/GAUGE of the needle used for the shot and how much meds was delivered in

one area will make a huge different on how fast a lump will appear.....CDT shot is famous for leaving lumps, antibiotics used with wrong needle size can cause lumps when

it is administered in neck..... 

www.google.com/search?q=cl+locations+in+goats&tbm=isch&tbs=rimg:CRp6-LzqH3xgIjg1IiPR-YT9RuvLuhZl_1rKw8jTkNsECFKXjKXLF3hXy-qQlduF5mufkXPOpQIXEw2aZHYEAZG8

If it is CL, and some point it will stop growing in size and lose all the hair on lump, then it will burst open and yucky discolored stuff will come out, also it will be very smelly, a lump from a shot will only get so big and I believe just get kinda hard, then the goats body will just start absorbing it and it will start going down and one day be gone......

Facts about CL, a person can still eat the meat of a goat that has CL, the butch will just cut around that area, the meat is still totally edible, CL (pus)  is contagious to humans and pregnant women should not be around animals with CL, it can be treated or controlled but never cured once animal has it......YES you can have it tested and give you some relief of stress, I would talk to your vet who I believe gave him some of his shots and see if this was indeed a shot location, CL on outside OR CL can be on inside of goats organs, what is the down side to this, goats with CL on inside of organs have a shorter life span.....

BUG bite, not mosquito....but a wasp sting yes, snake bite, puncture from a sharp object are the most common.....

EDITED.....Sorry the links didn't work but you can google CL locations in goats, only look at the image site, then look at the two I described above, they are fact pictures, many others are just individuals who post pictures with questions and uneducated folks give bad or wrong advice...

 

[mzgarden]

FWIW, I can add from my experience with an infected sting. This summer, one of my does was stung on the mouth/jaw line by a wasp - I was in the field with them when I saw her jump up and shake her head so I know what and when it happened. I got to her and could see a small, red swelling. I put baking soda paste on it and she seemed fine. Over the next week, that thing swelled up, she lost the hair around it and it was hot. I washed it several times a day with a combination of Hibiclens antimicrobial liquid soap and tea tree oil. It crusted over but I kept cleaning it because I did not want it to scab over with the infection still inside, so I was gently trying to wash to keep it open and draining. Eventually the swelling went down and it stopped draining. I let it scab over and continued to treat with dabs of tea tree oil, but leaving the scab. She healed up fine but it was an odd occurrence where the sting got infected.

[princessferf]

The lump on his neck is barely the size of a dime and is hard. He seems irritated when I mess with it. Although he doesn't like me messing with him other than scratches (that will stop him in his tracks) on his head, face and back.

[here to stay]

I would not worry too much as the vast majority of lumps, especially in the area where shots are given, are totally benign. My vet has cultured several fir me that turned out to grow absolutely no bacteria when cultured. He calls them sterile abscesses caused by irritation.

If it grows and looks ready to head up, I do get the vet to open and culture the pus.

[here to stay]

I would not worry too much as the vast majority of lumps, especially in the area where shots are given, are totally benign. My vet has cultured several for me that turned out to grow absolutely no bacteria when cultured. He calls them sterile abscesses caused by irritation.

If it grows and looks ready to head up, I do get the vet to open and culture the pus. I want to know.

[princessferf]

Thanks so much for the information. I'm still such a newbie when it comes to goats, I just want to do the right thing.

On the other hand, if this were chickens... I'd have few worries. But we've been raising those critters for 11 years now.