Should I treat with Penicillin? (weak pos cl titer)

Hello again everyone! My boer goat (about 12 weeks prego) has had a stuffy sounding nose off and on since we brought her home, particularly on humid days. Her temperature is normal between 101.5 and 102.5, lungs sounds clear, eating and drinking just fine. This afternoon she has some thick, light yellow discharge from her nose....just a small amount, and I've noticed the glands are swollen on her right side along the neck just below her ear. She was treated for pink eye a couple weeks ago on the right side and the glands were slightly swollen at that time, it's just a bit bigger now. There is no coughing with this, though she had a dry cough about a week ago with it when it was raining (1-2 days only). I didn't treat because she had no temp and otherwise seemed fine.
But with the thicker nasal discharge, would you go ahead and treat with five days of penicillin or let it go unless she develops wet lungs, a fever, or comes off her food? I should add that she was wormed twice with ivermec, so I thought maybe she was clearing out some lung worms. It's been very hot and humid here by day and cooler by night all week.

 

Re: Should I treat with Penicillin?

Personally, I haven't taken antibiotics in 5 years. I just take garlic and lots of zinc and vitamin c. . I just didn't want to let it keep going if I needed to treat her, especially since she's pregnant. I got some nutridrench and vicks vapor rub for her. She was underweight when I got her, so we're playing catch up with her health. I felt iffy on antibiotics, and appreciate the help!

 

Re: Should I treat with Penicillin?

I will take a picture of it when I feed her this evening. It's actually about three glands. Two are about the size of a jelly bean and the other is larger, like 2-3 jelly beans clumped together. They run in a line, like the lymph nodes that travel along the neck. She also began a dry hacking cough last night, but no fever still and no more thick mucus. She just sounds congested in her nose. With all of this pollen around here lately, I know how she feels.
I also learned why a drench syringe comes in so handy when giving her the nutri-drench. Trying to give 30 cc of the stuff with that fat syringe was really fun. :roll:
I think I'm more concerned with how long she's had it versus how severe the symptoms are (about 3 weeks).

 

Re: Should I treat with Penicillin?

Oh, sorry. No, there is no hair loss there.

 

Re: Should I treat with Penicillin? (Pictures Added)

The bottom swollen gland has gotten a bit bigger since last night. It looks about like a small grape. It doesn't seem to bother her when I touch it and they are soft, fluid filled. Still no fever, and no thick mucus from her nose today at all (but it's not humid, either).

 

Re: Should I treat with Penicillin? (Pictures Added)

I'm not sure if she's had issues with swelling before, but wish I did. I bought her from a man on April 17th who had her listed on craigslist, selling her for his "brother who culled her because her feet need trimmed too much". She was supposedly purebred and otherwise healthy (way too thin, back bone showing and sunk in over her hips). She is also pregnant, though the man didn't know that. She's put on quite a bit of weight and looks very prego now (she's 9-12 weeks now with a single per the ultrasound), but by the looks of her hooves and thin body she had been neglected for awhile. Poor baby, and she's so loving and affectionate.
I can take her to the vet tomorrow, I kind of just hate transporting her being pregnant if it's something I can treat here at home (no stock trailer yet so I have to have the hubby hoist her 155 lbs into the back of my SUV!)

 

Re: Should I treat with Penicillin? (Pictures Added)

Oh boy. I just briefly read about CL. I will aspirate the largest cyst in the morning and take it to the vet while isolating her from everybody else. If the cyst needs to be lanced and removed I can do that after deadening with local lidocaine (I was a paramedic for 14 years), but will see what the vet suggests. Will this affect her unborn kids since she will be treated prior to their birth around the end of July, if it is CL?
Fortunately, I'm sure none have ruptured yet (though the big one looks close) and nobody else has any unusual lumps on them. Thanks you you guys, we may be preventing an outbreak.
The largest lump feels soft, but the smaller ones do feel more solid. I'm going out now to put her in a seperate pen away from the others. I'll update when we know more!

 

Re: Should I treat with Penicillin? (Pictures Added)

yes, he does make house calls and I will call him in the morning to come out and test her for CL. I did read some about treating her with Formulin, and also that CL can affect her babies if allowed to nurse so they would have to be pulled right after birth and bottle fed. :sigh:
I'm going to pray it's just swollen lymph nodes from a respiratory infection ray: Of all the goats we have, she is my favorite and, while I haven't had her long, she has really grown on me. She comes up and gives me kisses, nibbles my hair. It's like she is saying thank you for giving her a good home, either that or I'm just loopy.
I think I'm reading if it's CL I would be unable to aspirate any fluid, but if it is I will not. So.....I will be putting on my medical gloves and taking a syringe out with me at midnight to see what's what. I have to move her anyway. I just wish it was in a spot not so close to nerves and major blood vessels....