[Lostlambs]

My 3 year old started with a swelling across the bridge of his nose,didn't seem sore to the touch so thougth maybe it was wasp stings as they were in clusters on the ground. It got worse until it broke open at top just below his eyes and started draining large amounts. Phoned my vet and started him on SA penicillin and clean the drainage. It is on top of the nose not making any running of nose or sneezing. He seems to eat and carry on with no problem but is still swollen after 5 days. Anybody have any ideas or know what this is please let me know. We have caseous here but it is not a lump like the ones that form on the neck and head in the lymph nodes.Thanks so much

[SallyintNorth]

Any chance of a pic, Lostlambs?

Plus, I haven't seen caseous - have you had a look at Blueeyes' pic of the lump on her Shetland?

http://www.accidentalsmallholder.net/forum/index.php?topic=18852.msg176772#msg176772

[Lostlambs]

I will try to get some pics up today-I'm a llittle out of of sync with your time zone it will be later. I looked at the pics of Blueeyes' lump, mine is not showing any mark or defined area on top of the skin. He's still up and about and I'm thinking the swelling has gone down a bit.The weather is getting close to freezing at night here now and that will help keep the flies away at least

[Lostlambs]

It's taken me forever to get these pics but we have been rushing to finish up baling and corrals before the snow starts here-once it starts it can be 2 inches or 2 feet

[kanisha]

does it feel solid or fluid? Have you tried draining it?

[Anke]

If he is in with other rams - any chance that they have been fighting and his nose took a bit of a hit? If he is not running a temperature, eating and otherwise behaving normally I would not be too worried.

[SallyintNorth]

I'm with Anke.  I was waiting to see what I saw the third picture - another tup!  This time of year, that's the most likely.

However, as it's not improving and has been going on for three weeks... can you keep them separate?

[Lostlambs]

Just an update-it was draining the first 2 weeks so I was cleaning it out,tried penicillin 5 days. It quit draining and started to harden. My vet said to try tetracycline, that didn't show any improvement. Took him in yesterday and he started him on another antibiotic-says it is an infection so hopefully it will straighten out-was hoping to sell him this year to get new blood in.I do remember he had a scratch under one eye about 2months ago but this showed up a least a month later.

[Fleecewife]

Or it could have been those wasp stings you mentioned earlier, leading to the infection.  Probably the fighting though.  Hopefully it won't erode down through the bone of his nose.  I wonder if it needs cleaning out again?  The vet would have said if he thought so.

Can't help but notice the electric mesh fencing - a horned ram is bound to get caught up in that sooner or later.  In our early days we nearly lost a couple of horned sheep which got thoroughly tangled in that type of mesh.

He is a smart tup 

[Lostlambs]

I haven't had anyone get tangled in the fence yet but was a bit worried about the lambs. The older sheep seem to stay pretty far away from it but with winter setting in I'm not going to need it soon, they will be in the corral. I have 2 hot lines on the inside of the ram pen that seem to work in keeping the shetlands from destroying the fence. His nose is not much better so am going to start looking for some older remedies that maybe somebody knows of to try and clear it. If anyone has any ideas please send them,none of the antibiotics have worked and my vet's out of ideas. He's only 3 so would be a shame to lose him to this. Thanks

[Fleecewife]

If the bump is filled with hardened pus, then I wondered if an old fashioned poultice (kaolin or hot wet bread are the two I know of) would help to soften and draw it.

[mmu]

I had a ewe a few years back with a shearing wound that turned into an abscess which went hard before it emptied properly.  A bread poultice every day really did the trick.

[daddymatty82]

were they eating any thistley hay before the lump? could a thistle be causing an infection at all?

[Lostlambs]

I do have canada thistle in the pasture, I've heard sheep will eat it after it freezes-I don't know about any infection from it. Can you tell me what it's like.Also any help on how to get a poultice on his nose and how to make it Thanks so much

[mmu]

Sorry I've been away for a while, we've been trying to get as much as possible done before this weather breaks!
To make a bread poultice just heat some milk and pour onto a slice of bread, use white for this even if you never normally eat it.  Make into a mush and wrap In a piece of muslin if poss, or old sheet, hold onto the affected part and try to leave until it dries.  You may be able to tie it on.  It gets easier with practice.  Put it on as hot as possible without burning him, I don't know why it works, but it does.  So sorry not to have got back before.