# Sudden Case Of Sore Mouth....help!!!!



## myrandaandkids (Apr 15, 2006)

my young saanen buckling has large sores on the side of his mouth, they look like large protruding scabs, is this sore mouth? if it is what causes it?how to treat it?is it contgiouse?can it be cured?please help :help:


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## FarmerCop (May 11, 2005)

Contagious ....YES, 

treatment? I am not sure of any other than maybe a little vaseline and peroxide on the affected area.

I know there is a live virus injection but mind you that will cause the virus not stop it, I think it will take about three to five weeks to heal its just a matter of watch and wait, also be aware that the scabs can spread the virus if they fall on the ground and another animal grazes or eats there etc...

I think I read that the virus can live quite a long time too, ours contracted it thru hay coming on the stead from another farm make sure to wash hands thouroughly and wear gloves as much as possible, the virus is Zoonotic which means you can catch it too!



did I leave anything out folks?


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## livestockmom (Apr 2, 2005)

oooh, i'm sorry your going through this right now...no, nothing to do about it that I know of except to let it run it's course...its also known as ORF so you might get additional info if you google that too. And, just like FarmerCop said, it's zoonotic, so scrupulous handwashing. It's over 80% contagious so likely the rest he has come into contact will get it too.
Try to look at the bright side, at least you arent kidding right now when the little ones can spread it to the dams teats and then refuse to nurse.
This too shall pass, hang in there.


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## AnnaS (Nov 29, 2003)

Soremouth doesn't really need any treatment. It is MUCH less serious than it looks- it's the chicken pox of goats. Looks scary, very common, not usually serious at all. A bad case might go off feed for a day or so and a very, very few cases can develop a secondary infection. Once they have had it, they will have immunity.

Last year, my doelings picked it up at the breeders from another goat there to be bred. I ended up deliberatly exposing all my goats to the infected ones and keeping everyone in a quarantine pen away from the barn until it had run its course. That way, I would not have new cases popping up a week before a fair and kept the barn clean (soremouth can live for years in wood).


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## dbarjacres (Feb 2, 2004)

Are you sure it's not from him urinating on himself? Maybe he's not even old enough for that yet, but our one 2 y.o. buck has nasty sores on his left muzzle where he constantly pees. It just looks terrible and has to hurt like heck!


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## Lizi (May 21, 2006)

Try tea tree oil twice a day, it worked for my goats within one week the scabs were gone and hair growing back. Get a cotton ball wet with it and rub on, or else put some in a eyedrop bottle and just put a drop on each sore.


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## AllWolf (Dec 27, 2005)

Soremouth is a viral disease that is contagious both to goats and humans. The causative agent is an epitheliotropic parapoxvirus that gains entry to the goat's body via cuts and abrasions. The virus is found worldwide and there is no known cure.

Otherwise known as Contagious Ecthyma, Orf, and "scabby mouth," Soremouth looks like fever blisters. Generally appearing on the hairless parts of the goat's body (lips, vulva, teats, and scrotum), Soremouth can also occur on the face, ears, and coronary band (above the hoof) of the goat.

Soremouth is a life-threatening disease to nursing kids. Infected lips transmit the virus to the dam's teats, making her so uncomfortable that the doe may refuse to let her kids nurse. Soremouth is highly contagious; a large percentage of an infected kid crop can die from starvation if they can't nurse. Once the virus appears, it is not unusual for most or all of the kids to contract Soremouth.

The bad news is that Soremouth must run its course and this can be as long as three to four weeks per animal. The immune animal likely remains a carrier of the Soremouth virus and may infect other goats. The good news is that most goats who survive Soremouth become immune to it and never contract it again, similar to humans who are exposed to chickenpox. There are steps that can be taken by the goat producer to minimize the discomfort of all infected goats.

Use disposable gloves; humans can catch Soremouth. Gentian Violet is an old-time inexpensive purple liquid medication used decades ago for fever blisters and impetigo. It is available without prescription from the local pharmacy, though it may have to be ordered by the pharmacist. Gentian Violet helps dry up the blisters and hasten healing. Drying scabs sometimes contain staph bacteria or screwworm maggots. Gentian Violet kills bacteria that may cause a secondary infection. Systemic antibiotics are recommended if a secondary bacterial infection exists. The purple color of Gentian Violet affords the producer the added benefit of being able to see which animals have already been treated.

Once Soremouth is on the farm or ranch, it is there for years. Clean up of the pens, pastures, and paddocks is sometimes possible by bleaching, burning, and allowing the ground to lie fallow for an extended period of time. Of course, the size of the area involved, manpower available, costs incurred, and conditions existing will determine if this practice is practical.

Let Soremouth run its course, using the supportive therapy above. This is particularly beneficial if there are no nursing kids in the herd when infection occurs. Unless a herd is closed and isolated from other goats, it is likely that at some time in the goat producer's career, he/she will encounter Soremouth. Be prepared to deal with this disease. Soremouth is far more manageable than many other illnesses that a goat herd might encounter.

Hope this helps..


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## Tabitha (Apr 10, 2006)

gentian violet and tee tree oil, I am going to write it down. Our vet recommends WD40. He says it works but does not know why.


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## HeatherDriskill (Jun 28, 2005)

I wonder who the first person was to decide to spray WD40 on their goat's sores...weird. It probably works kind of like the tea tree oil. They are both oils, really.


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