Neck mass?

[Ann in NH]

Looking for some guidance... Now that Cary (11yo Alpine wether) has finished shedding out, I see he has a huge mass on the underside of his neck, just above where it ties into his chest. It is not high up under his chin (goiter) and is below where his collar lies. It doesn't feel hot or tender; it's definitely firm (muscular, even). It's wider than his neck so that when viewed from above you can see it extends outward evenly on both sides.  It's about the size of a large honeydew melon.  What on earth am I seeing??  Sorry no photo - will try and snap one tomorrow.

[Nanno]

How odd! That doesn't sound like a CL abscess. How quickly did this come up? If it was overnight, I would think some kind of trauma. If it grew more slowly I would be concerned about cancer, particularly considering his age (although that seems an odd spot to get a tumor). It would probably be wise to have a vet look at him so you can get a proper diagnosis.

[Sanhestar]

yes, I second the vet suggestion.

[Ann in NH]

Looks like we're going to the vet. Similar growths have been lipomas on myself and my dog, however this would be rather large for a lipoma. On the optimistic side, it's definitely round, medial and subcutaneous. There are no organs in that location of which I'm aware. I can't say it came up suddenly but it surprised the heck out of me to find it yesterday so believe it was fast. I was stung yesterday in front of where he's standing in the photo so possibly a bee sting? though it's not hot or tender and given it's size that seems unlikely.

[Charlie Horse]

Could be a hematoma. Oops. Spell check suggest its a tomato.

Could be a sting. I doubt its life-threatening cancer or something.

[Nanno]

Yes, that's very strange. I'm glad you're taking him to the vet. Let us know what you find out. From the location, it's possible he had some kind of neck trauma (stuck in a fence?) and gravity pulled the fluid down to the bottom of his neck.

[Charlie Horse]

Well I just went out and discovered my doe Victoria has a bubble head. She's aggressive and likes to fight goats even if they have horns. Looks like she bashed heads and has some under-the-skin bleeding. I noticed she seems like she has a winter coat on her head even though its summer. I patted her head and I could move the skin around on a little pad of fluid. Its no surprise... In the spring her winter coat is almost rubbed off her head and she has scabs. The hair wont grow back till the summer coat comes in. This could take weeks to go down.

[Ann in NH]

Vet installed a drain but over the course of ten days it didn't drain much. When we took him back to have the stitches removed last week, we elected to have it biopsied. The pathology report came back today: thymoma. Vet says it's the third most common type of tumor in goats (9-10% of all tumors) and they are common in dogs, especially in the chest. A chest x-ray could show if it extends into his chest. If so, it's commonly malignant. If not, it's more likely benign and prognosis following surgical removal is better. Surgery would have be done at Tufts Veterinary Surgical Hospital or UPenn. It's not something he can do at his clinic. Meanwhile, I suspect the tumor is pressing on Cary's esophagus as his feed consumption is way down and he's starting to visibly lose weight. I'm doing what I can to keep him interested in food (he's liking hay more than pellets) and his spirits are good. That said, he's 11 years old and I'm not sure how much more stress I want to put him through. If anyone has experience with thymomas in goats, I would like to hear you ASAP. TIA Ann in NH

[Taffy]

Thank you for the update.  Many vet teaching hospitals will do surgery for free as a learning opportunity for the students.

Try offering Cary manna pro calf manna.  It is a highly concentrated feed and he won't need to eat a large amount to get the calories he needs.  My vet has had me use it in the past.  Below is a photo of the bag.

Whatever you decide to do, know that you are a wonderful owner and Cary has been lucky to have you.


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[Nanno]

I'm sorry it turned out to be a tumor. I'm glad you had it checked out. When they're this old it's hard to know the best course of action and whether it's fair to put them through surgery. I know you'll do the right thing, whichever decision you make.