What is this on his mouth???

1830 Views 19 Replies 8 Participants Last post by MsScamp, Oct 18, 2013

Udder Folks

Discussion Starter · Oct 10, 2013

My new boer buckling has been living with us for all of 11 days. A few days ago, I noticed a small pinkish swelling on his lower lip. I pulled the lip back, and saw that it looked even bigger on the inside. I did a little searching, and read about soremouth. I sent a picture to the breeder. She said it didn't look like soremouth to her, and that he had been vaccinated. I've gone ahead and put campho phenique on it a few times. I've also been dosing him with Molly's immune support.

Does this look like soremouth to you? If not, what DOES it look like? Does he need the vet to look at it? When I was opening his mouth to get this new picture, I saw another, smaller swelling up on the top lip towards the back.

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goathiker

· #2 · Oct 10, 2013

It looks like a heat grass sticker got in his lip. Or a blackberry thorn.

Udder Folks

Discussion Starter · #3 · Oct 10, 2013

I'm not familiar with heat grass, but he could definitely have found a blackberry thorn. What would you do about it?

Does the presence of another something up on the top lip make you think that would be the same problem?

goathiker

· #4 · Oct 10, 2013

Sorry, my C is sticky. It's supposed to be cheat grass. It's a grass seed known for getting under the skin and causing abscesses. Normally they heal alright. Is the wound festered? Sometimes the sticker will come out with the pus.

It could be a non typical sore mouth but, it doesn't really look like it to me.

sweetgoats

· #5 · Oct 10, 2013

It is not soremouth. I agree maybe something in it. Is it sore? can you squeeze it at all? do you see anything in it?
Is he still eating well? watch that and make sure he does not stop eating.

Udder Folks

Discussion Starter · #6 · Oct 11, 2013

3

He is still at the hayfeeder, so I don't think it's bothering him too much. I'll have to take a better look at it tomorrow to see if there is something visible there. It has definitely become larger since I first noticed it. It doesn't look pus-filled to me. Attaching some other photos in case they are clearer.

See that other little pink bump in the first photo of the three? I think this may be another "whatever this is" beginning. The first looked very similar to that when I first noticed it, except brighter and more on the inside of the lip. I don't have a photo of whatever he's got going on on the top lip, but it is happening above that bump in the back.

Help, and any other suggestions welcomed. Thanks a bunch!

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Ride4ever

· #7 · Oct 11, 2013

The idea of a thorn seems like a good one to me. Could he have gotten poked by something and having a reaction to it? like a wire and then it got infected? It doesn't necessarily look infected, but still could be. Could he have eaten something new and be allergic to it?

Udder Folks

Discussion Starter · #8 · Oct 16, 2013

Update. Must be soremouth. One of my does developed sores at the corner of her mouth the other day, and they are looking pretty yucky. Another has got a few small bumps starting. I have some Today ointment on order ...

thanks for your input!

happybleats

· #9 · Oct 16, 2013

Im thinking sore mouth too..that one pic shows a second sore developing..Remove him from the herd and clean with vinegar water wash and treat with iodine..Today is a good treatment as well

Udder Folks

Discussion Starter · #10 · Oct 17, 2013

He has been living with and eating with my other buckling and my wether. The two does who have it are on the other side of the fence. How does this spread?

I had thought it must be too late to separate him ... was kinda thinking this would be like letting my children get chicken pox - just get it all over with, and get everyone immune. Is this wrong?

happybleats

· #11 · Oct 17, 2013

If they have been together already its too late...my as well let it run its course....treat as soon as you see a new sore..

as kinda thinking this would be like letting my children get chicken pox - just get it all over with, and get everyone immune. Is this wrong?

Some like to handle it this way.
I choose not to because any illness stresses the goat, lowers the immune sytstem and makes it hard to fight off other infections and illnesses..preventing spread is always a better choice..

Udder Folks

Discussion Starter · #12 · Oct 17, 2013

That makes sense. Thank you!

7blessings

· #13 · Oct 17, 2013

So, can goats get soremouth after they have been vaccinated? And from the time of exposure from another goat with Soremouth, when would it begin to show up in the rest?

happybleats

· #14 · Oct 17, 2013

Sore mouth can run 3-4 weeks in each goat...I believe a goat exposed can break out in sores usually in two weeks..?? I would need to confirm that time period, but I htink its two weeks..

here is a good article on sore mouth
http://www.tennesseemeatgoats.com/articles2/soremouth.html

Udder Folks

Discussion Starter · #15 · Oct 17, 2013

Yes, and my guy had been vaccinated. I was wondering if the vaccine and the stress of moving to my home had brought it on. I always hear how people who get the flu shot can end up getting the flu ...

junkprospector

· #16 · Oct 17, 2013

getting the flu shot then getting the flu is typically due to the strains. Each year the different strains of the influenza virus are passed around. typically those developing the flu vaccine have an educated guess at which strains will be most prevalent the following year, but cannot ever be certain. Usually if you've got a flu vaccine and get the flu, its due to a strain that was not in the falls flu vaccine. I don't know if soremouth is the same, but it sounds like that could be the case.

goathiker

· #17 · Oct 17, 2013

Yep, that's exactly it, different strains. The sore mouth vaccine doesn't prevent them from getting it anyway...It gives it to them on purpose, but only one strain of it.
The sore mouth is in the ground of your property. It can live there for many years in our climate. When I got into breeding again after a break I opened a building that had been shut up for 8 years...Guess what, the sore mouth from the bummer lambs I used to raise in there was still active.

Udder Folks

Discussion Starter · #18 · Oct 18, 2013

Oooh, ick. So we won't actually be immune when we're through with this?

happybleats

· #19 · Oct 18, 2013

only to the strain he has : )

MsScamp

· #20 · Oct 18, 2013

7blessings said:
So, can goats get soremouth after they have been vaccinated? And from the time of exposure from another goat with Soremouth, when would it begin to show up in the rest?

According to what I've read the Sore Mouth vaccine is a live vaccine. By vaccinating, you are actually infecting your goats with Sore Mouth but, once it has run its course, your goats are immune to it.

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