My Nubian's Abscess

2219 Views 15 Replies 7 Participants Last post by happybleats, Oct 20, 2013

Mudhouse

Discussion Starter · Oct 13, 2013

I looked through the other threads looking for a similar case and I haven't seen one yet so here is what is going on.
Back in June my Nubian developed an abscess. Took her to the vet and It turned out to be a rotten tooth. We pulled it (all of it, it was amazing!) and we cultured the abscess to be cautious. It turned out to be three different bacterium (they were nasty) in it but not CL. We put her on antibiotics for a month.
Started to disappear then in the beginning of September it became large again. Checked to make sure it wasn't a bolus in the empty cavity (I have a cattle drenching gun that I can reach the back of her mouth with) and went back on antibiotics from another month.
Vet came out a week and a half ago and checked it out. I thought bone abscess. He said no it was moveable. It's hard, I forgot to say that, not squishy. He thought maybe scar tissue from the old abscess and she was creating an onion skin scaring to close it off from the rest of her. He mentioned Lumpy jaw but he didn't think so because it hadn't burst in a month's time. He played with it a lot squeezed it , moved it, she never winced or seemed in any pain. He said stop the antibiotics, so I did.
Tonight it is her whole side of her jaw. It has tripled in size in 12-18 hours. She does not seem bothered in the slightest. I gave her 10cc of penicillin and called the vet-- he is out of town until Tuesday morning.
Does anyone have any advice or thoughts? I would appreciate any words of wisdom.

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happybleats

· #2 · Oct 13, 2013

here is a link to a list of cyst causes...from CL to A salivary Gland cyst....

a Salivary cyst can be quite large and take the whole jaw...Hope the link helps!
best wishes

lauraanimal1

· #3 · Oct 13, 2013

Cathy, you forgot the link...lol

Jessica84

· #4 · Oct 13, 2013

Salivary cyst was what came to mind as well. I had a doe with one and it did what you just explained. You can try and drain it that would give you a idea if fluid and blood come out its a cyst but if your unsure about attempting that wait on your vet

ksalvagno

· #5 · Oct 13, 2013

Was she checked for another tooth abscess? Maybe another one of her teeth are abscessed. To me it sounds like she could have further complications from the tooth abscess.

happybleats

· #6 · Oct 14, 2013

SORRY LOL

http://goat-link.com/content/view/101/96/#.UltJb2Rxte4

Mudhouse

Discussion Starter · #7 · Oct 15, 2013

Update:
After giving her a shot of penicillin Saturday night, on Monday, the size reduced by half. I spoke with the vet today. He was shocked it was swelled, he was positive it was closed off scar tissue.
Not in the right spot for a cyst. Maybe another abscessed tooth but it is behind and on the side where the back tooth used to be. He still thinks not lumpy jaw.
When we cultured back in June, we found Acinetobacter Baumannii, Pasteurella, and Acranobacterium Pyogenes. Tough combination.
The vet mentioned that if I was large scale, I would cull to protect the other goats.
My other goat friends in the area say they would have culled back in June due to the cost. I have spent a little over a $1000 on her with the newest price of $300 to go in and remove the entire abscess with surgery and then culture for $150. This would happen after we do a few weeks of antibiotics to reduce the size before surgery.
She is a beautiful loving goat that I adore. Her coat is gorgeous and shiny, her attitude is cheery.
He told me to rinse her mouth to make sure nothing is in there and that she didn't bite her cheek, give her the antibiotics, and call him in one week with my decision to cure or cull.

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goathiker

· #8 · Oct 15, 2013

Acranobacterium Pyogenes ouch! Acinetobacter Baumannii and double and triple ouch,

I think your only recourse is to remove the abscess completely and hope and pray that it hasn't colonized her throat and lungs yet. These baceriums are highly resistant to most antibiotics and are very aggressive.

ksalvagno

· #9 · Oct 16, 2013

Wow, good luck with your girl.

Mudhouse

Discussion Starter · #10 · Oct 16, 2013

Goathiker, the vet didn't say anything like it colonizing in throat or lungs, have you heard of that?

goathiker

· #11 · Oct 17, 2013 (Edited)

Acranobacterium Pyogenes This is what causes your abscess. It's a common enough bacteria that lives on the pharynx of rumenants. It overgrows occasionally causing problems. It can cause a nasty mastitis. It also can cause a nasty throat infection in humans.
Acinetobacter Baumannii This is an Opportunistic bacteria. It is a newly emerging problem. It has become very antibiotic resistant. To date it has killed 700 injured Iraqi war veterans and is responsible for 25% of Critical care hospital deaths. It particularly likes people on ventilators as it also thrives in mucus membranes. It is often found in the company of common Pneumonia bacteria (pasteurella in this case) It can transfer it's DNA to the more common bacteria causing it to become drug resistant.

Not to say it will even bother your goat but, you don't want it on her for sure. Be very careful to not transfer it from her to yourself. Acinetobacter Baumannii can live on human skin for up to 20 days no matter how hard or long you scrub.

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happybleats

· #12 · Oct 17, 2013

Intersting thread and info..please keep us posted on whats happening... Im so sorry your goats is going through this...best wishes

NubianFan

· #13 · Oct 17, 2013

Wow Jill THAT is scary. As much as I love my animals if one had something that dangerous to humans in its system, I would put it down and dispose of its body properly.

Mudhouse

Discussion Starter · #14 · Oct 19, 2013

It's Saturday; I scheduled surgery for Tuesday that will go in stages. He'll look at her and we will judge it externally, then sedate her and then look in her mouth, then if that looks promising, will will cut to remove abscess. At any point he promised to tell me this is not going to heal, it's time to cull. EVERYONE has told me to cull. I feel sick to my stomach because I understand the dangers of one of the bacteria. I am so sad. She is my favorite, my first Nubian, she is the coolest goat.
Swelling went down, swelling went up. She looks bothered today, but she is in heat. I hate this decision. My children are mad at me. They don't understand.

goathiker

· #15 · Oct 19, 2013

Yes, children can be difficult. When mine were little, I would explain bacteria as if they were alien space invaders taking over the earth, they seemed to be able to connect it a little better.

So sorry that this has happened. I'll pray that it isn't the resistant type for you...

happybleats

· #16 · Oct 20, 2013

Im sorry...Prayers sent for good results. Your children will find a way to move on if this turns out bad. Anger is a way for them to focus their lack of understanding and heart ache on whats going on with their goat..parents are always a good target...they love no matter what.
I like Jill explaination on alien invastion : )
Hugs

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