The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Goats => Topic started by: Kymw90 on June 13, 2014, 04:18:52 pm
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I have a Nubian doe with what appears to be a salivary cyst. Is this something I can drain myself? I have drained such things before but not on a goat. I would think a syringe would be better than lancing it with a big hole. Can anyone shed some light on this weird lump? The lump moves when I hold it. Not solid or firm but a lump. It looks like she has a big cheekful of stuff but it definitely isn't her chewing food. I would say it is bigger since I got her.
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Cloud had a huge lump come up on her cheek and the vet lanced it. The pus and blood squirted all over the place, including the vet's face. :innocent: He reckoned it was something she'd eaten stuck in her and asked if I'd given her hawthorn which I had. He told me that hawthorns often have a poison on the tip of the thorns which can cause infections if it pierces the skin.
It sounds like your goat may have the same.
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It could be as already suggested, a pocket of pus , the vet would probably use a syringe and large needle to see what comes out, if it is pus then it can be lanced. The only other thing I can think of, because I have had three goats with them on different parts of their bodies, is a thymoma. The goats I have had kept them until they were put down and then I had them excised to find out what it was. They did grow but didn't interference with their eating or anything else. They are not common but a possibility and worth thinking about if it isn't pus filled. :idea:
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oh no, i feed hawthorns. i also get really painful splinters from cutting them so that explains alot. ouch
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oh no, i feed hawthorns. i also get really painful splinters from cutting them so that explains alot. ouch
I'd find it hard to stop mine eating hawthorn the hedges are full of it.
Blackthorn and pyracantha are probably worse for going septic but only in my hands so far ( touch wood)
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My vet knew about the hawthorn because he had had a hawthorn splinter go septic and have to be lanced and his GP told him about the poison. My goats have often eaten hawthorn with no ill effects but there's always the risk. I don't feed it now. If it's in your hedge, DW, there's nothing you can do except be aware.
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The tips of blackthorn /hawthorn break off under the skin and cause your hands to stiffen up , it was always called blackthorn rheumatism. and they go septic like nobody's business.
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Two of my Nubians have had these cysts before, and one had it again this year. I left them alone and they must have popped, and disappeared. Now one of the Nubian kids appears to have one too. Never had it with the other breeds of goats!!
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Mine isn't a Noob so I think you may just be unlucky with these.
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Nubians are very prone to these.................it is actually documented in John Matthews Vet book.
Sometimes they disappear on their own accord.
Emptying them will actually increase the size...............because 'nature' does not like an empty space. You could try removing a little at a time but this is not always successful.
I have a goatling who had one from birth............just as I was contemplating what to do about as she reached 12 mths....by now it was huge !!!!..............it suddenly burst. Not a pleasant site at all, but has now healed up completely. It was a salivary gland gone wild effectively.
It has been suggested that Nubians may have a different jaw structure to swiss goats which traps/impedes the salivary gland in some cases.
It is unsightly but is not detrimental to the goat. She may never produce kids with it............it is very random.
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Salivary cysts do seem to be more common in ANs. We have drained one (for someone else) before, but had to do it regularly, once a month or every 3 weeks. Once they get older, they normally improve as the tubes seem to get bigger, and they return to normal. If is a salivary cyst, what you drain out will literally just be clear saliva. We used needle and syringe. It could be an infection, in which case it will be the pus and blood.
Beth
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Hmm ok glad I'm not the only one. Is this something I can do myself? I am able to get lancing syringes if I need to. Or should I really get the vet to examine first?
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when my pig had symetrical swellings, with no diagnosis, the vet put a sterile needle in and tried to draw something out. in that case there was nothing to come out so he stopped but if there was something there you would see it clearly in the syringe. the vet gave me a scalpel to use for the next time. its not rocket science so if you are sterile and careful, it shouldnt be a huge risk to do it yourself. from what posters are saying, it will be nothing, bloody pus, or clear saliva.
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Well vet is booked for tomorrow and good job because on sunday it was big and squishy. Today bigger and rock hard so something is happening! I am worried! He said will probably need some antibios. I'm not squeamish so popping it will be good fun for me if that's an option.
The worrying bit is it has been there for 2 years and was dinky compared to now. Shouldn't a simple pus ball have gone by now?
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Not necessarily. Try not to worry. The vet will sort it out.
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Good news and bad news
It's simply a salary cyst and vet stuck a drain in and sure enough clear spit poured out. He have a her an antibac shot to stop any infection from the drain
The bad news is no sooner had he left the pouch filled straight back up. He said it could do that and in that case it is t hurting or harming just to leave it be. I am gritting my teeth as I don't like it being so big. He did offer surgery but I said no as it seems a bit drastic when it really is t botherin her and in fact bothers me more lol.
So next is can I manage this? The glad is clearly blocked/the tubes are thinner like when we have a blacked nose it's the passage that is inflamed. So with that in mind and a long discussion with Sue about a connection with pollen and grass blooms suddenly making his thing get massive in a short time, I'm thinking of maybe seeing if a antihistamine may help open up the gland tubes? Also maybe give her some regular antibiotic shots also. Draining is fun but a pointless exercise.
What do you guys do with this kind if thing?
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How old is she? Usually it occurs in younger animals, and gets better as they get older, so I'm not sure that it's connected to pollen. I wouldn't keep draining it unless you have to- we came to the conclusion, that draining it might just stimulate the gland to produce more salvia :(
Antibiotics might be a good idea, but you'll have to wait and see.
Beth
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She is 6 now. SInce giving the anti allegy tabs it really has improved and since we've had some rain it has also gone down but is still there. Yes its exactly what happened after the vet drained it. By the time he left it had refilled even bigger. So I won't be draining it ever again unless I feel there may be sinister problem. I will give anti-bs also and see if that helps.
Thank you for all your help everyone and support :eyelashes: