# Bottle jaw



## sevendogs (Jul 18, 2010)

I have a three months doeling of Nubian/Saanen cross. I weaned her, when she was one and a half months old; she grew normally, eating on the pasture, but recently I discovered she had a bottle jaw problem. She still can suckle milk out of bottle. Can anyone tell me, if I can save her? What kind of drug to use? I gave her one big dose of Safeguard and a week later Ivomec, one does. It seems her condition did not change.


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## dixienc (Apr 11, 2008)

sevendogs said:


> I have a three months doeling of Nubian/Saanen cross. I weaned her, when she was one and a half months old; she grew normally, eating on the pasture, but recently I discovered she had a bottle jaw problem. She still can suckle milk out of bottle. Can anyone tell me, if I can save her? What kind of drug to use? I gave her one big dose of Safeguard and a week later Ivomec, one does. It seems her condition did not change.


I just lost two kids with bottle jaw. I battled it endlessly for two months, with wormers and penicillin and they both died. The vet said it was a high worm load and both after death had blood in their stools. They were the only two kids born this year with this problem, and it's the first time I've ever seen it. 

Neither ran a temp, went on and off feed every couple of days, and looked depressed. It was heartbreaking. The last large dose of wormer must have detached the worms inside which caused the bleeding and deaths. I guess some kids are born more suseptible to parasites than others. 

I would call your vet and get their advice. It extended my kids life but it may save yours.


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## topside1 (Sep 23, 2005)

Milk Neck - If the swelling is soft, is located on the chin/throat, right where the chin and throat meet, and the goat is a kid. It is probably Milk Neck. The size of the swelling varies greatly, from barely noticeable, to quire large. It is soft. It is not a hard lump. 
Bottle Jaw - If the swelling is further up on the chin, on the jaw, this could be "bottle jaw" which is a sign of severe parasite infestation. It is soft. It is not a hard lump. The goat needs to be wormed with a chemical wormer ASAP. If not treated right away, death could result. This usually happens in adults goats, not kids.


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## topside1 (Sep 23, 2005)

Ivomec (1%) ....1cc/25#'s....although I use Cydectin...Keep in touch....Topside


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## Heritagefarm (Feb 21, 2010)

This happened with our sheep a couple time, before. The wormer fixed them right up. We also gave them some Gentamycin (sp) Sulfate, I wonder it that helps?


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## farmerjohn (Jun 11, 2010)

OK-Just did a morning check on animals. Young male goat-Feb. birth-has a noticable lump under the chin in the curve part of the neck. Soft, not hard. What should I be checking for? What should I treat with? First that I have noticed it as this am. I check him several times a day. What is Milk neck and Bottle neck? WHy do they happen or what cause them?
Thanks


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## topside1 (Sep 23, 2005)

http://www.goatbiology.com/milkgoiter.html


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## topside1 (Sep 23, 2005)

Another scenario is "bottle jaw" which is a significant swelling below the chin and sometimes down front of the throat. This is an indication of fairly significant worm (internal parasite) infestation. The treatment is a good solid dose of worm medicine, perhaps exceeding the normal recommended dose a little and repeated 2 or 3 times until symptoms disappear. The only sure diagnosis is a fecal sample


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## sevendogs (Jul 18, 2010)

I thank everybody for the responses. Topside 1, I gave a huge dose of Safeguard and ten days later 1 1/2 cm of ivermecin (IVOMEC). She had been weaned, but I returned her to milk, which she drinks out of bottle three times every day. How many times I should treat her with ivermecin? I give it orally.


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## Minelson (Oct 16, 2007)

If you are giving Ivermectin injectable orally I would give 1cc per 25 lbs. You can take a sample to the vet and have them look at it and see if you need to repeat again or if it worked.


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## Laverne (May 25, 2008)

I'm glad you are bottle feeding her again. 6 weeks is too early to wean. Many recommend a minimum of 3 months and for doelings, for future milking some day, a minimum of 5-6 months of milk to get good growth. All of my kids last year got milk neck and one wether at 5 1/2 months old weighed 93 lbs. and he was half nigerian, so it is a sign of good growth.


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## sevendogs (Jul 18, 2010)

Currently, my best milk producing goat is a Nubian with 25% admixture of Boer. She had weaned by age of 2 months. She is very athletic. I also had one very good pure Nubian doe, which grew up suckling under her mother and seemed very vigorous, but she suddenly died, when she got a deer parasite on the open pasture a year ago. My improession is goats are very fragile creatures under environment of Virginia.


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## betsy h. (Sep 28, 2008)

Where in VA?


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## farmerjohn (Jun 11, 2010)

Laverne said:


> I'm glad you are bottle feeding her again. 6 weeks is too early to wean. Many recommend a minimum of 3 months and for doelings, for future milking some day, a minimum of 5-6 months of milk to get good growth. All of my kids last year got milk neck and one wether at 5 1/2 months old weighed 93 lbs. and he was half nigerian, so it is a sign of good growth.


Oh My! I see so many ads for goats sold at 4 weeks old. So Milk Neck forms BECAUSE a goat is bottle fed for a long time or BECAUSE it is not? What if a goat is not bottle fed for a long time-like at 6 weeks or 8 weeks bottle feeding stop and the goat is then fed medicated food? And if medicated food then for how long on medicated food?


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

Milk neck/goiter is from getting lots of good goat milk. Even my dam fed kids get it. It's not a problem at all, and it goes away when they are weaned.:goodjob:


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## Jyllie63 (Dec 30, 2004)

If it is inideed bottle jaw...the ivomec will help but you still need to give something for the anemia! The anemia from the worms is what causes bottlejaw. I suggest getting some Red Cell (TSC or feed store).


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## farmerjohn (Jun 11, 2010)

Goat was weaned a while back and has been on hay, goat feed, minerals, and fresh water at all times. Goat is approx. 6 months old. He is a buck. Has had his CD&T done by breeder. Was sold at 4 weeks old-was bottle fed until he started eating medicated feed-now on goat feed and hay and minerals. Looked at lump again on neck area. Right smack in the middle of throat when he lifts his head up. From the side it is in the curved area of throat. Not very big but is noticable.


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## sevendogs (Jul 18, 2010)

We are near Buchanan, Virginia. I do not let our goats on the open pasture any more. They eat grass in a large, about 5 acres pen. When the grass turns dry and short, I feed some feeds and bring tree branches with leaves, which the goats like. I also offer them young pine trees in winter. By the way, my doeling is improving. I gave her one time Safeguard, then I gave her one time ivermicin and I return her to milk feeding. It seems she is improving by day.


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## Laverne (May 25, 2008)

Milk neck has to do with the thymus swelling, the immune system and fast growth. Bottle jaw is more toward the chin. All I know is that in the South there are worms that are very serious and research is needed to control them. I read that ivermec crosses the blood brain barrier in kids so is not totally safe till they're about 5-6 mos. old, there's always something with goats. Cydectin can be purchased as Qwest gel for horses and is good for kids. Here's a good rundown on kid care http://dairygoatinfo.com/index.php/topic,2077.0.html


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