Goat has Scab at CD&T Injection Site-Problem?

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

i posted this over on the backyardherds forum, also, but anxious for some input. Here is the dilemma. We gave our goats CD&T injections on 12/17. Billy is fine, Tinkerbell is fine although she does have a bump there. She had a bump at the injection site two years when we had a vet do it. But Hillary has a bump and a black scab. It's hard, not squishy or pussy. Felt like i could pick it off if i tried, but didn't, of course. i've never seen this, although we've only had goats now for two years. Hillary seems fine otherwise, eating, drinking.

Should i be worried? Is this a problem? Has this every happened to anyone else? Perhaps i didn't do a good job on the injection. Our vet showed us and i did it just like he did - in the side, pull skin out and inject down. Will attach pics. Any advice to sooth my worried mind would be great. We go on vacation in four days and i would hate for anything to happen when we're gone.

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

If it is not red, warm, or swollen, it should not be a problem. Just keep an eye on it to make sure it heals and doesn't get worse. It looks a little large from the pictures, but the goat could have just had a bit of a reaction to the vaccine. Do you usually take their temps before giving shots? I know it's not normally something people do, but it can be a good habit to get into. That way if something like this happens in the future, you can take a second temp and compare it to the first to get a bit better pictures of what is going on. Sometimes immune reactions to vaccines can cause a higher temp and the animal will just feel yucky in general. Rabies is notorious for that! Tetanus vaccine in humans is the same.

It is also possible you just hit a vessel and it bled a little and that's why you have the crusty bit on top. Did you give the shot IM? I'm finding it can be given either way, but I know in people tetanus is usually an IM shot. I've seen a few more issues with IM shots that sub-Q, and the issues usually just involve more soreness, redness, and swelling. I'm not seeing that on your goat though and so I really think she should be fine providing the size of the scab does not increase. I have had a bit of scabbing occur with microchipping needles when I hit vessels. It's really not all that uncommon.

Its difficult to tell from the picture, but is the scab on top of the skin or sort of buried into the skin?

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

Shots often leave small abcesses

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

Quote:
My first thought was that it looked like a healing abscess, but I wasn't sure. If that's all it is and it is not oozing, you should be perfectly fine.

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

Thank you for your response, Chickerdoodle13 and Bear Foot Farm. The shot was given sub que. It really isn't as large as it looks in the pic. i only noticed it as she was itching at it with her mouth. She can just reach the area when she bends her neck back to her side. The scab is sitting on top of the bump and it's hard when you push on it. No fluids are inside. So i guess it must be pretty much healed. i feel bad i didn't notice it before.

i've never taken their temperature. How does one do that? i know with cats now they use an in-the-ear contraption, like with little kids. Would it do it rectally? And, does a feed store have special thermometers for farm animals? i'm not sure my husband could hold any of them long enough to get a thermometer in their behinds.

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

Would it do it rectally?
And, does a feed store have special thermometers for farm animals?
i'm not sure my husband could hold any of them long enough to get a thermometer in their behinds

Yes, rectally.

Feed stores sometimes have thermometers, but you'd be better off to get a fast reading digital

http://www.google.com/webhp?complet....,cf.osb&fp=ae61e8394f8d7735&biw=1016&bih=522

Get them in a pen, and push them up against the wall to hold them, and keep their heads raised high.
If they have halters, you can tie them up high in a corner and hold them against the wall.

I do it with my sheep and some of them weigh 200 lbs​

 

[emmadipstik]

Same thing happened to Laylie after giving her the CD&T shot. At first it was just a scab, but it progressed to turn into an abscess. Not really uncommon to get an abscess at the injection site. We lanced it 1 a day everyday for about 4 or 5 days. Not sure if that will turn into an abscess, but if it does, keep it clean and lance it to let the puss out. You should shave the area around the abscess. It'll take a while for the hair to grow back. Yours looks a little different than mine did, so if it stays looking like that for another few days, I would suggest getting a skin scrape to rule out any possibilities.

Here's a good site on Abscesses - http://www.tennesseemeatgoats.com/articles2/abscesses.html

And

Here's a good site on skin diseases in goats - http://www.tennesseemeatgoats.com/articles2/skindiseases.html

~Hope I helped; Emma

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

Oh my! i hope it doesn't turn into an abscess! We're going on vacation in two days and i would hate for her to get sick while we're gone. We have a house/pet sitter, but she isn't a goat expert.

Thank you for the helpful links!

 

[mama24]

Looks like it's healing to me.

I have to give myself B12 shots and I have gotten a weird crusty scab before from it, and it never got infected or anything. Just happens sometimes. If it was infected, it would be red, hot, and swollen.

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

Quote:
Phew! Thank you. i used to give myself B12 shots. Never got a scab but sometimes i would hit a nerve and, oh boy did that hurt!