Caseous Lymphadenitis Treatment
Caseous lymphadenitis, commonly known as abscess, helps the body rid itself of infection that has usually acquired through a cut or a scratch. If an abscess forms on your animal, you may feel it as a bump on the skin. If you part the fur and see a raised, reddish area that feels warm, it is probably an abscess.
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Sheep
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Abscesses caused by bacteria are common in the skin of sheep. The most serious bacterial abscesses are those caused by Cornebacterium psuedotuberculosis, which can result in caseous lymphadenitis. Typical symptoms are firm nodules under the skin due to infection of lymph nodes. Severely affected animals exhibit gradual loss of muscle tone. The causative bacteria are often present on the skin and in the environment, and enter the skin through wounds. Shearing is the primary cause of abscesses in sheep. "Unfortunately, antibiotic treatment is not effective and surgery should be attempted only for very valuable animals."
Horses
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Typically, an abscess in a horse develops when a wound becomes infected and the body reacts to stop the spread of that infection. In the early stages, to prevent an abscess from developing, it is essential to clean the wound thoroughly with an effective antiseptic preparation, paying special attention to the depth of the wound; habitane or iodine based scrubs are best.
If an abscess is forming, antibiotic treatment is contra-indicated, and the only treatment necessary is the application of hot poultices or drawing agents such as magnesium sulphate paste. Keeping the cavity opens by regular irrigation allows the wound to heal from the source outwards.
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Cattle
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Abscesses in cattle are typically called "lumpy jaw" due to the location and appearance of the abscess. Lumpy jaw occurs after a calf eats hay or grass with sharp seeds in it. Foxtail or downy brome--cheat grass-- seedpods have sharp stickers that can be caught in the mouth and poke into the cheek tissue. A sticker that pokes in deeply may open the way for bacteria to cause infection, and the wound will abscess. The primary symptom of lumpy jaw is the large bulge in the calf's cheek.
Goats
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Goats, as in sheep, develop infections of the lymph nodes when bacteria enter through skin wounds. The most common bacteria causing abscesses is Cornebacterium psuedotuberculosis. In order to prevent abscesses from forming, provide a safe environment for your goat; free of sharp objects, which could cause cuts and punctures.
Treatment
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Overtime, an abscess grows, and the skin covering the area opens to allow pus to escape. Although abscesses will drain by themselves, the pus carries germs that can infect other areas of the body. To prevent the infection from spreading, it is better for you or your veterinarian to start the draining process.
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References
- Photo Credit horse image by Joann Cooper from Fotolia.com
