Our first thought, after we calm our fears and do a phone call with the vet, is that it is a small hernia. One idea we have about its cause: she has herniated, perhaps, because of how unskillful she is at avoiding the bigger goats, who sometimes ram her when she stands next to a building, effectively rending a heart-wrenching screech from her, sound not being the only thing to escape under the pressure. Following up on these interrelated ideas, we separate her with her sister and mother, and spend some time and money trying to construct a truss that a goat may not shed in 15 minutes.
Aside from this bump on her belly, Anemone seems fine. She continues to be interested in eating whenever her mother and sister eat, she frolics and plays with her sister, she is alert and friendly. Furthermore, it So, I haven't seen a need to dropped everything to get a vet to look at it.
Then, about a week later, it starts to emit pus. White pus, smelling of extremely strong cud breath, what the vet has called "ruminant pus", an aroma that is highly attractive--to flies. Lucky for Anemone the pus does not ooze, but squirts only when bumped or squeezed by curious farmers, so the flies aren't all over her. The presence of pus changes the situation significantly. Definitely an infection, though probably not one of the scary ones--pus from a CL abcess is typically odorless--it means I am no longer comfortable letting this try to resolve itself.
We finally get her to the veterinary clinic today. The results are only a little surprising. Vet confirms it is not a hernia, that it is an infection. After looking at the shaved, cleaned abscess, doctor opines that the inflammation likely resulted from an umbilicus which has been infected from the week of her birth and which has only finally flared up in the last two weeks. [Note to self: Need to revisit our kidding procedures. Since the war on methamphetamine labs has made iodine solution impossible to come by, our substitution of betadine wash probably did not do the job. Anna the vet's assistant suggests chlorhexadine solution might be a better substitute, though not certain I communicated the use clearly.]
Final bill: Just under $150.
| Qty | Description | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Veterinary Exam, lg animal | 49.50 |
| 1 | Abcsess/Prep/Lance | 27.50 |
| 1 | Chlorhexaderm Sol Dvm (8oz) | 11.40 |
| 1 | Naxcel 1gm Disp | 58.00 |
| 4 | Syringe 3cc | 1.00 |
| 4 | Needle 20x1 | .80 |
| subtotal | 148.20 |
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