pygmy goats

Question
Several of our pygmy goats were born alive but died shortly after birth. Some have two lumps in the their neck/throat area about 1" by 1/2" in size and feel like testicles or glands. The lumps don't interfere with their breathing or swallowing. The goats are very weak when born.

My main question is what could the lumps be? I thought it may be a birth defect from inbreeding, but yesterday's kids were from unrelated parents. And they both had the lumps in the throat area.

We feed oats and hay in the morning and just hay in the evening. And they have a salt block available.

If you need more info, please let me know.

Answer
Hello Sandi -

I think it may be one of three things:

1. Abscess
This is a common problem in goats in many areas of the country. Abscesses are caused by the bacteria Coryne-bacterium psudotuberculosis. They appear around the head and on the neck most commonly. The disease is spread from infected animals and from the environment through small punctures in the skin caused by sharp (even pinpoint) objects and vegetation. If abscess do occur on your goat, consult your veterinarian for recommended treatment.  If the abscess should break open, clean thoroughly with iodine, flush daily, and keep the infected goat away from others.  Keep flies away from the abscess site with a good fly-repellent spray.

2. Wattle Cyst Abscesses
Wattle Cyst Abscesses occasionally occur at the base of one or more wattles or at the site where a wattle was surgically removed. Though normally present at birth, wattle cysts may not be noticeable until the goat grows. Wattle cysts contain a clear liquid which can be thick or thin, and the site may abcess when the liquid is aspirated (removed with a needle and syringe). Other than being confused with CL, wattle cysts are harmless.

3. Caseous Lymphadenitis (CL)
Caseous Lymphadenitis (CL) is the most common cause of abscesses in goats. Goats with knots under their ears, on their flanks, or about their chests have a huge probability of being infected with the bacterium which causes CL abscesses. Recurring (chronic) lymph node abscesses in goats are caused by the organism corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis. These abscesses can be both external and internal. While the bacteria is highly contagious and spreads through a herd rapidly, the knots (which appear at lymph-gland sites) can be slow to develop, sometimes taking months or years to become visible. No goat breed and no geographic area is exempt from goats being able to ontract this disease. Females contract CL at about the same percentage rate as do males. Wethers display a lower incidence of the disease, perhaps because they are generally terminal animals. The high infection rate in older animals confirms that the organism can be acquired at any time and that exposure increases with age. Caseous Lymphadenitis in goats is a world-wide problem which continues to baffle scientists striving to find either a prevention or a cure . . . neither of which currently exists. Infection occurs through wounds caused by head butting, punctures, and shearing, by ingestion, and even occasionally via inhalation. Internal abscesses can cause major health problems. The disease can affect the lungs, liver, and kidneys; respiration may become rapid and difficult, and infertility can result from scrotal abscesses in males. Udder abscesses in females can seriously deplete milk production. External abscesses are most common under the ears in the head and neck region of the goat's body, while internal abscesses appear most often in the lungs. In decreasing percentages of frequency, external abscesses are found under the ear, on the shoulder, on the flank, and in the udder/scrotum areas.

All abscesses on goats are not necessarily CL abscesses. The bacterium actinomyces pyogenes also produces a fast-growing nodule, but it contains a smelly, greenish pus. A simple and inexpensive test can be done on blood samples or pus (exudate) to determine the bacterium causing the abscess. Most nodules, as high as 90% or more are CL abscesses.

Caseous Lymphadenitis is extremely resistant to antibiotic therapy because the thick caseous pus is contained in a tough fibrous capsule which antibiotics cannot penetrate. The abscesses usually develop slowly and contain a cheesy, dryish, white pus about the consistency of toothpaste. Lab testing on blood samples is the only diagnostic tool currently available to determine if a goat without a visible abscess is infected, and tests on goats under six months of age are very unreliable. Active, runny, open abscesses are most accurately testable. Older lesions don't shed enough of the bacterium to be readily detectable. The incidence of "false negatives" is high, particularly in goats displaying no visible signs of abscesses.

To manage an outbreak of Caseous Lymphadenitis in a goat herd, create a "sick pen" dedicated solely to CL-infected goats; use it for nothing else. Immediately remove an infected animal from the herd and place it in isolation in the "sick pen." NEVER let the abscess burst on its own and contaminate pen or pasture. When the abscess begins to feel soft or the hair starts coming off its center, prepare to open the abscess and remove the exudate. Humans can contract Caseous Lymphadenitis; a skin lesion exposed to the bacterium is an invitation to this highly-contagious organism. If you feel this condition best decribes your goats, please contact your veterinarian right away!

My best recommendation is to have your vet take a look at the kids and see if there maybe something they can do. Without me really knowing more, having a history on the parents or surroundings etc, I can't really help you more. I do feel that your kids may have CL, please seek the help of a vet or clinic.

I hope this information has helped you and your animals.

If you would like information on natural and herbal remedies for human and animal concerns please contact me at wintersaurora@yahoo.com and I will be happy to assist you. I also offer a catalog of specially formulated herbal remedies which I can send to you as well. My products are also available online at www.localharvest.org.

Thank you and best wishes to you and your "kids". Please keep me posted on their health and condition. I will look further and see if there maybe some herbal remedies to help.

Sincerely,
Sharon Hubbs, AHG
Certified Natural Health Consultant & Herbalist