With proper care and a balanced diet, goats rarely get sick. However, they need timely, thorough examination 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 injury to the animal, a symptom of iodine deficiency in the body, or a sign of a number of diseases that are dangerous even to humans.
Causes of bumps in goats
In adult animals, the causes of lumps on the neck are varied, including differences in the degree of danger for themselves and humans:
- inflamed, injured areas - goats can inadvertently run into a protruding nail or chips that have broken off from a wooden stand in stalls; in the pasture they can pierce the skin with a branch or metal rod. An infected wound becomes inflamed and fills with pus;
- diseases that provoke the appearance of formations - actinomycosis, caseous lymphadenitis, paratuberculosis, hydatid cysts (these diseases are highly contagious, lead to rapid infection of the entire livestock, and are also 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, visible enlargement of the thyroid gland occurs only in very advanced cases (they are stunted in growth, their skin suffers, and milk yield decreases). 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.
In healthy kids under the age of four months, that is, during milk feeding, milk goiter also occurs. It is more commonly seen in Nubian goats. The reason for the enlargement of the thymus gland 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 refusing mother's milk, these formations resolve on their own.
Detection methods
Even a healthy and vigorous animal with a good appetite must be examined regularly and carefully. Small bumps under the fur 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 pay attention to:
- location of the bump - on the side of the neck, bottom in the middle;
- whether there is any hair left on it;
- Is it painful to touch the lump or press on it?
- Are there any signs 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 lumps are found on the neck of a weak, low-viable newborn goat, this must 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 lump appeared. It is necessary to inspect the stall, make sure that there are no traumatic parts in it, and check the grazing area in advance, removing dry branches and scrap metal from it.
How to treat correctly
It is advisable that treatment of lumps on a goat’s neck that appear for any reason be carried out by a veterinarian. If this is not possible, there is a high risk that the cause will be incorrectly identified and amateur therapy will be ineffective. For infected wounds:
- The doctor opens large abscesses with local anesthesia, cleans them, and in advanced cases prescribes an antibiotic, choosing it depending on the state of health of the goat;
- small inflammations at home can be lubricated with Vishnevsky ointment, and after the abscess breaks through, wash the wound with hydrogen peroxide and put a piece of bandage with levomekol into it, constantly changing it.
If the wound does not improve, you should consult a doctor to prescribe antibiotics. The consequences of chronic iodine deficiency are easier to prevent than to treat.Using iodized commercial salt is not enough. We need veterinary drugs - “Sedimin”, “Iodomidol”, “Kayod” and others. Their quantity and frequency of use is calculated by the veterinarian based on the weight and condition of the animal. Goats need to receive them during pregnancy along with feed with balanced microelements.
The possibility and procedure for treating infectious diseases is determined by the doctor:
- in case of actinomycosis, the veterinarian opens abscesses, removes pus, administers antibiotics and sulfonamide 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 livestock farming, diseased animals are culled and their carcasses are disposed of. During home breeding, if an individual is of emotional value, it is isolated, given antibiotic therapy, and encapsulated abscesses are opened, cleared of contents and disinfected.
Therapy for these diseases is always long-term, but not always effective.
Possible danger
In the absence of timely treatment, purulent abscesses in a goat can burst and clear on their own, or they can burst inside and lead to sepsis of the animal and its death.
Iodine deficiency leads to many animal health problems:
- in goats, the cyclicity of estrus is disrupted, fertility and fertility are reduced;
- Fetal resorption, miscarriages at the beginning of pregnancy, abortions, and the birth of non-viable kids often occur;
- milk yield and milk fat content are falling.
Surviving young animals born with goiter have slower growth in live weight. To prevent pseudotuberculosis, echinococcosis and any other infectious diseases, a person should strictly adhere to personal preventive measures while caring for animals. If you suspect them, you must immediately isolate the individual from the rest of the herd and immediately contact a veterinarian to carry out the necessary analyzes of the contents of the cones.
