# Infected Umbilicus



## fmg (Jul 4, 2011)

I was getting ready to send a 3 day old Nigerian buckling to his new home, and noticed his umbilical cord seems to be infected. His sister's is dry, but his had an infected look to it, a yellowish swollen spot. It did not look to be infected at the body (there seemed to be a constriction right near where it attached to the body, and no swelling in the abdomen where it attaches). His joints are not swollen, and I will take his temperature when I go out with his next bottle-he is eating well. Had my father-in-law, retired vet (but doesn't know anything about goats) look at it and he drained it from the opposite end then where it attaches, and put some iodine on, and I'm to put cut-heal on daily. What I am wondering is if it would be a good idea to get this kid on some systemic antibiotics, and if so, what the best antibiotic for navel/joint ill would be. So far, his joints are fine, also. I feel bad, because the people drove 4.5 hours for their new herdsire, and now they have to come back...I will always be checking and triple checking this now before people come for their babies!


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## buckrun (Mar 7, 2008)

Take some LA200 oxytet or other tetracycline liquid and pull up about 3 ccs and squirt all around where the cord attaches to the belly.
Get it all over the remaining cord. Do this for about 3 days and you should not have to do systemic.
Lee


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

Most navel ill starts with ecoli bacteria, if it then spreads it becomes navel ill and joint ill. So make sure whatever disinfectant/bacterialstats you are using on the umbilical and feet, kills ecoli....I would doubt that cut and heal or other diluted alcohol products does. Chlorhexideen does, so does 7% and higher iodine. There isn't much more than chlorhexideen needed on the farm, diluted in a spray bottle, and in this case daubed on undiluted.

Once it hits, fever and swelling starts, you have to go systemic antibiotic like Naxcel/Excennel and hit it hard, using banamine to keep the fever down and the kid eating. 

Draining and getting the dead tissue of this stump is super important. I check navels at every feeding and spray them again if they aren't drying all the way to the belly. I keep them cut short so boys are not peeing on them and keeping them wet. Vicki


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## fmg (Jul 4, 2011)

Cut Heal is Fish oil, Linseed oil, tea tree oil, and balsam of fir, no alcohol. Personally, I don't really like the stuff much, but he is a fanatic...it has a kind of drying effect, and antibacterial. I'll probably just stick with the tincture iodine, and maybe try like Lee mentioned.


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

In spraying navels and feet you want to be using something that tells you it kills ecoli on contact. Vicki


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## punchiepal (Aug 4, 2010)

Vicki,
So do you prefer something like Nolvasan over the Triodine-7?
If so, do you use the Nolvasan straight or dilute it?


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

There are several chlorhexideens out there, I use the one straight then mixed for teat dip and topical sprays. But just like the disinfectants we use with the litters, if it doesn't say it kills parvo or ecoli, why use it. Dipping with alcohol sprays that dry is fine, but we know we all have bacteria in the ground, nobody can be so clean that a doe doesn't have kids with some bacteria on their feet and umbilical stump, so use products that kill the bacteria that cause us problems. In using the triodine, it simply is not the old iodine, get it from your vet or use the chlorhexideen. Read directions and look up the actual drug you are using. Like surgical scrubs, if you don't use them for 5 minutes, they don't work, and I don't know anyone who cleans up for a full 5 minutes (that one shocked me actually). Vicki


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## fmg (Jul 4, 2011)

I put iodine on it for a day, every time I fed, and then started the cut-heal the next day, it is a once-twice a day thing. It looks to be drying and healing up well now.


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## MF-Alpines (Mar 29, 2010)

Glad the buckling is doing better, Nancy.


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## goatkid (Oct 26, 2007)

When I was at convention, we discussed what to use on navels. The vet said chlorhexadine is not necessarily effective and to use iodine. I've never had to use the triodine, so don't know how well that works. My vet doesn't use/have the 7% iodine. When he's done C sections, he used betadine. Fortunately, when most stores stopped selling iodine, one store still had it and I bought an extra bottle so I'm good this year.


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## fmg (Jul 4, 2011)

I remember that, Kathie, I was at that class. I think it was because the chlorhex does not have alcohol, so not drying like the iodine tincture is. My friend says she uses tea tree oil on her kids umbilicus, but she is also obsessed with melaleuca products.  His cord looks darn near totally healed, now.


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## happy vagabonds (Jun 24, 2012)

I get why we dip the navels, but why do we want to dip the hooves?


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## Greylady (Mar 28, 2012)

I am not sure, good question. The hooves are still porous and soft?


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## punchiepal (Aug 4, 2010)

I think I read that dipping the hooves also helps them harden faster, and that they are porous?


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