Lump on jaw??

[Dwite Sharp]

If The lump is above the jaw bone or on the side of it, it is more than likely not CL. If the lump is just slightly under the Jaw bone (where the lymphoid are located) this could be CL. Many a CL negative goat has been condemned because of speculation. If it is CL it will take weeks or even months to get to the Rupture open stage that is contagious to other goats and sheep and humans too. A blood draw CL test or puss test is the only way to confirm the "Truth". The heavy, thick, odorless puss that is encapsulated inside of a CL abscess is what is so contagious. The disease is spread by contact of this puss with mucus membranes (eyes, mouth, lungs etc. or possible open sores). CL is a virus that there is no cure for and when the animal has a ruptured CL abscess it is highly contagious to goats, sheep and even humans. The majority of the time these CL lumps are under the jaw, on the side of the head (just below the ear) or on the front of the chest. Almost always in front of the shoulders. But not always, they have been rarely seen on the hind legs and scrotum of bucks. And on occasion they have been known to form inside the lungs of both does and bucks. These lung born CL abscesses are extremely dangerous for spreading CL because the animal contaminates everything by coughing and sneezing and you usually have no idea they even have CL until they have spread it everywhere. When in the lungs it is eventually fatal with pneumonia like symptoms. Animals with lung borne CL should be euthanize immediately. When the abscesses are external it is totally possible to control this disease without throwing the baby out with the bathwater. A CL positive goat is more than capable of living a completely normal life without spreading this disease to others. They can have offspring that are CL negative. This disease is "Manageable" unlike the hysteria that has been hoovering over it for decades. There is 16 different strains of CL, so if you have a vaccine manufactured for your herd it will have to be designed for the strain your trying to protect against. The vaccines sold on the open market are not effective. Having a vaccine designed is quite expensive, but very effective. You can manage CL without the expensive custom made vaccines. I have known individuals who have paid thousands of dollars for a breeding animal only for it to be sold at a sale barn for meat market prices because of a CL abscess, that's "Hysteria". If these goats had been managed correctly they could have been very productive without spreading CL to others. You absolutely can not ignore CL because it will then become the "Monster" in your life.