# Infected Disbudding Site



## nehimama (Jun 18, 2005)

I've never seen this before!

I have a really little guy here who was disbudded on Monday (by an expert). I noticed this morning that both hornbud sites are oozing nasty-smelling crud. Not a lot, but enough to worry me.

I plan to gently wash both areas with warm, soapy water, then dry and apply an antibiotic ointment.

Would you do anything else or differently?

Thanks for any insights or input.


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## dragonchick (Oct 10, 2007)

IF he were mine I would not use any ointment on him. I would clean the area well and spray with blukote or iodine. The ointment will keep the wound from drying out and allow all sorts of ickies to stick to it. If you use blukote or iodine protect the eyes from the spray.


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## Heritagefarm (Feb 21, 2010)

I had the same problem (beginners luck and Murphy's Law combined). Here is a copy of a PM from Emily:
"I would clean it out with a q-tip dipped in peroxide. Clean all the pus out and lift the scab off if it is loose. Then after it is clean, use some sort of dry antibacterial type spray(like fural, but fural is no longer available). Whatever you do, do not put any type of salve on it, it needs to stay dry.
You can boost the kids immune system with Vitamin C and B. If the kid is acting sluggish or off feed at all, you should put it on a round of antibiotics."

Of course that was for our case... In your case, what you're doing sounds fine.


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## bcadybug (Jul 2, 2009)

I've got the exact same thing going on at my place! 

A doeling we purchased a couple weeks ago has got an infected disbudding spot as well. I don't think that the disbudder used any type of blukote after the procedure was done. Anyhow, last night I cleaned it good with some iodine udder wash and then sprayed with this silvery wound spray. Her temp was a bit high so I started her on Pen G as well. It's really hurts her cause she screams when we try and clean it 

I'll be following this thread closely. I'm half tempted to just take her to the vet.
:help:


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## Heritagefarm (Feb 21, 2010)

Oh, whew, this makes me feel less like we're screwing up or something.


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## farmmaid (Jan 13, 2003)

If if was mine I would have given first an anti-tetnus shot..........can do that now.


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## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

My vet gave the anti-tetanus vaccine when he disbudded. Probably not a bad idea.

Since the idea is to keep the area dry and clean, I'd gently wash with betadine solution, maybe apply NeoPred powder if you have it on hand. Otherwise, iodine.

Bcadybug brings up a good point: Is the kid pyretic? You may want to use an injectable antibiotic if he's running a fever.

I'm sure more experienced folks will chime in. I'll be following the thread, too, to see what's the "best practice" for this sort of thing.


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## nehimama (Jun 18, 2005)

He got his tetanus the day of disbudding. And, doggonit! I already put the bacitracin ointment on the sites (after washing). Now, how would I get that off to allow the area to dry? I DO have some Furall left over from a while ago, and would certainly use that. 

I put the ointment on due to worries about flies.


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## ozark_jewels (Oct 7, 2005)

I always treat an infected disbudding area like this:

Clean it out with a q-tip dipped in peroxide. Clean all the pus out and lift the scab off if it is loose. Then after it is clean, use some sort of dry antibacterial type spray(like fural, but fural is no longer available). Whatever you do, do not put any type of salve on it, it needs to stay dry.
You can boost the kids immune system with Vitamin C and B. If the kid is acting sluggish or off feed at all, you should put it on a round of antibiotics.

It rarely happens, but when it does this has always cleaned it up just fine. 

I need to experiment with other types of spray this coming year. I have never had an infected disbudding when I was able to use Fural(for years of using it). While I like the Alu-Shield, I've had two or three infected in the last two years of using it. So I'll be looking for another product.


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## nehimama (Jun 18, 2005)

Emily, would peroxide help me to get the gooey bacitracin ointment off?


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## Vicki McGaugh TX Nubians (May 6, 2002)

Not a huge fanof Alu-shield eithe Emily, it seals the area shut, and doesn't breath like it did with Fural/furox, even my vet is simply using the vet equivalant of it and complaining.

I would take a veggy brush to the head and really get it cleaned up and debrided, with the disbudding so close to the sinus cavity I would want that dead tissue cleaned much better than a q tip and peroxide can do. Using chlorhexideen. You do not want to be using iodine in case it runs into the eyes.

I ended out the season just putting my chlorhexideen into a small spray bottle, and keeping it in the fridge, using it to cool the head and disenfect, it's what I am going to use. Vicki


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## nehimama (Jun 18, 2005)

Chlorhexidine! I do have some of that! Thanks for your input, Vicki.


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## ozark_jewels (Oct 7, 2005)

Vicki McGaugh TX Nubians said:


> Not a huge fanof Alu-shield eithe Emily, it seals the area shut, and doesn't breath like it did with Fural/furox, even my vet is simply using the vet equivalant of it and complaining.....
> I ended out the season just putting my chlorhexideen into a small spray bottle, and keeping it in the fridge, using it to cool the head and disenfect, it's what I am going to use. Vicki


Interesting.....I may try the Chlorahexadine next season......in fact, I will try that with the surprise Boer kid born last weekend.
Thought the Alu-Shield would do a good job, but after the problems I had with it, I was reading the bottle just yesterday.....yep, it "bandages" the site.....keeping it from breathing.


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## nehimama (Jun 18, 2005)

Okay, I got the bacitracin ointment off the disbudding sites, and cleaned out all the smelly stuff with Chlorhexidine. That worked really well, by the way - the Chlorhexidine. He is not pyretic (not running a temp) and is feeding well. I also gave him a half cc of Fortified Vitamin B Complex, just in case.


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## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

Any idea why Fural/furox is no longer available?


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## ozark_jewels (Oct 7, 2005)

I am a BIG fan of chorhexadine for any wound/injury that I want to keep dry. Gonna try that following disbuddings too, thanks Vicki. 
I am sorry this happened. I was just putting two and two together this week. I had a few infected heads in the past couple years and never before(even the two commercial dairy years when I must have disbudded close to 300 head each year). I started using Alu-shield two years ago after it became impossible to get the fural. So yeah.......It has to be the Alu-Shield.


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## ozark_jewels (Oct 7, 2005)

Pony said:


> Any idea why Fural/furox is no longer available?


I think the plant burnt down or something......I wish they would start producing it again, I love the stuff!!


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## Heritagefarm (Feb 21, 2010)

LOL, emily, read my first post, LOL, I posted it first haha!


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

I, too, am going to get some Chorhexadine. Been using hydrogen pyroxide after soaping up and cleaning areas; then dabbing Iodine 7% if needed. I don't like the burning effect of Iodine so have been using Fural (actually loaded up on it a couple of years ago).


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## monsnider (Jul 27, 2015)

Ok so on this note...We got our goat at about 6 months and the dehorning that was done previously did not work completely. 

So we had someone come and work on him again a little(well too long later.) The horns were growing and she cut one off and tried to dehorn it....there is now green puss on this one.

The other...she banded...I didn't want to see her try to cut it off...it just looked too painful and not right. So she filed part of the horn and then put a band on it...I think it is infected as well...the band is definitely getting the horn to slowly come off...but it stinks as well.

He use to be so nice and friendly. He no longer lets me get close to him without a battle and he is not happy like he use to be. Staying in his one and seems sad.


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## Caprice Acres (Mar 6, 2005)

This is an old thread. Usually to get the most attention to a topic, it's best to start a new thread. 

That being said, the fact that the animal is acting 'sad' - which is likely a severe pain response - means to me this animal deserves pain meds and veterinary care especially if you would like to proceed with removing horns. It is only humane, not to mention in it's best interest for continued growth, health, production, and the coming breeding season. (I see yours is a male, no indication of being a breeding buck or pet however) Removing horns especially once older is extremely painful, and now there is infection to boot. I wouldn't be friendly anymore either.


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## nehimama (Jun 18, 2005)

Old thread, indeed! I remember that buckling very well. He turned into a very handsome buck - Nehi Minis Jim Dandy.


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## terri9630 (Mar 12, 2012)

I take mine to the vet to be done. He puts them to sleep and takes care of horns. They wake up, their head hurts but it's not my fault so they don't hold it against me. My vet charges $15 to disbud kids and $30 to cut/trim horns on adults.

Definitely see a vet for the infection to get the right antibiotics.


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