A goat has a bump on its neck: what it could be, how to detect and properly treat

With proper care and a balanced diet, goats rarely get sick. However, they need to be carefully examined in time in order not to miss the onset of any disease or other problem. In particular, if a goat has a lump on its neck, this may be the result of an animal injury, a symptom of iodine deficiency in the body, or a sign of a number of diseases that are dangerous even for humans.

Causes of bumps in a goat

In adult animals, the causes of bumps on the neck are varied, including differing in the degree of danger to themselves and humans:

• inflamed injured places - goats in stalls can inadvertently run into a protruding nail or chips that have broken off from a wooden rack, in a pasture - pierce the skin with a branch, a metal rod. An infected wound becomes inflamed and filled with pus;
• diseases that provoke the appearance of formations - actinomycosis, caseous lymphadenitis, paratuberculosis, echinococcal cysts (the listed diseases are highly contagious, lead to rapid infection of the entire livestock, and in addition, are dangerous to humans);
• iodine deficiency in the body - a constant lack of it in the diet leads to endemic goiter in animals. In adult goats, a visible increase in the thyroid gland occurs only in very advanced cases (they are stunted, the skin is affected, milk production is reduced). From mothers who did not receive enough iodine during pregnancy, kids are born with small bumps on the neck, that is, with an existing goiter. They often die shortly after birth.

He althy kids under the age of four months, that is, during milk feeding, also milk goiter occurs. It is more commonly seen in Nubian goats. The reason for the enlargement of the thymus in this case is unknown. Since the thymus gland is actively involved in the body's immune system, experts do not recommend treating babies in any way. After giving up mother's milk, these formations resolve themselves.

Detection methods

Even a he althy and vigorous animal with a good appetite must be regularly and carefully examined. Under the coat, small bumps may not be visible at first, but the sooner the veterinarian determines the cause of their appearance, the faster the goat will be treated. What to look out for:

• the location of the bump is on the side of the neck, from the bottom in the middle;
• does her hair remain on her;
• is it painful to touch the bump, pressing on it;
• are there any traces of injury - scratches, punctures, dried wounds.

In any case, you should call a veterinarian to rule out dangerous diseases. If the behavior of the animal has changed or bumps are found on the neck of a weak, non-viable newborn kid, this should be done immediately (unlike pathological goiter, milk goiter usually does not appear immediately, but some time after birth, sometimes after several weeks).

The more often the herd is inspected, the easier it is to determine at what time the bump appeared. It is necessary to examine the stall, make sure that there are no traumatic parts in it, and check the grazing place in advance by removing dry branches and scrap metal from it.

How to heal properly

It is desirable that the treatment of bumps on the neck of a goat, which appeared for any reason, was carried out by a specialist veterinarian. If this is not possible, there is a high risk that the cause will be established incorrectly, and home-based therapy will be ineffective.For infected wounds:

• large abscesses doctor opens waters with local anesthesia, cleans, in advanced cases prescribes an antibiotic, choosing it depending on the state of he alth of the goat;

If the wound does not improve, see a doctor for antibiotics. The consequences of chronic iodine deficiency are easier to prevent than to treat. The use of commercially available iodized s alt is not enough. We need veterinary drugs - "Sedimin", "Iodomidol", "Kayod" and others. Their number and frequency of use is calculated by the veterinarian by weight and condition of the animal. Goats also need to receive them during pregnancy along with feeds with balanced microelements.

It is especially difficult to take care of kids who were born weak, with difficulty taking food due to large bumps on the neck.

The possibility and procedure for the treatment of infectious diseases is determined by the doctor:

• with actinomycosis, the veterinarian opens abscesses, removes pus, injects antibiotics, sulfa drugs;
• cystic echinococcosis, depending on its type, is treated percutaneously, surgically or with anti-infective drug therapy;
• There is no treatment for caseous lymphadenitis, in industrial animal husbandry, sick animals are culled, and their carcasses are disposed of. In home breeding, if an individual is of emotional value, it is isolated, treated with antibiotics, and encapsulated abscesses are opened, cleaned of contents and decontaminated.

Therapy for these diseases is always long, but not always effective.

Possible danger

In the absence of timely treatment, purulent abscesses in a goat can break through and clear themselves, or they can break through inside and lead to sepsis of the animal and its death.

Iodine deficiency leads to many animal he alth problems:

• in goats, the estrus cycle is broken, fertility and fertility are reduced;
• fetal resorption often occurs, miscarriages at the beginning of pregnancy, abortions, the birth of unviable kids;
• milk and fat content are falling.

Surviving young animals born with goiter have slowed down weight gain. For the prevention of pseudotuberculosis, echinococcosis and any other infectious diseases, a person should strictly adhere to personal prevention measures while caring for animals.If they are suspected, it is necessary to immediately isolate the individual from the rest of the herd and immediately contact a veterinarian to conduct the necessary analyzes of the contents of the cones.

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