# sinus infection



## lorit (May 10, 2010)

My poor little buckling who was surgically dehorned almost two weeks ago has had a hard time recovering. I gave him bo-se and probios prior to surgery. He was current on his di-methox cocci prevention and regular worming. Followed the vet instructions for aftercare, etc.

However, Monday evening I noticed some discharge from one side and Tuesday morning it was much worse. Called vet out for a farm call and she says he has a sinus infection - not too uncommon with that surgery since it opens up the sinus cavity. There is no discharge from his nostrils and temp is normal. Eating and drinking, peeing and pooping but definitely under the weather, weak, just has not bounced back.

She has him on Pen-G twice a day for 10 days and Nuflor every 48 hours for same 10 days. Says I should notice a significant change at about 48 hours.

Is there anything else I should be doing for him? Is her treatment protocal sound? I am definitely babying him - it was hot here today so I brought him into the back yard in the cool shade and grass and we just laid together with his head on my lap for an hour.

On a side note, it was a great time to trim his hoofs and easier then when he is standing on them.


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

If on 48 hours he is not better take him to the vet. You do not want this to go on, because it can tip the bone in his nose permanetly, he will have a bent to the side profile from the front. It can also go to his brain and kill him.

I am not a fan of using any antibiotic that is used every 48 hours because goats have such fast metabolisims there is no way it is in the blood stream at 48 hours. He should be getting at least 3cc per 50 pounds twice a day of pennicillin so up it on it's own if you are not giving this much and give it subq.

I would be using banamine to keep the inflammation down and also to keep his temp down...take his temp every 12 hours. I would be giving him subq fluids unless he is drinking readily. This can be a massive infection in his head not just sinus so really watch him. Vicki


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## stoneyheightsfarm (Jan 19, 2008)

Are the holes in the top of his head still open? If so, you can actually squirt the Pen G in there, and you can also irrigate the cavity with saline. Search on here for Open Sinus Cavity and you can read about what happened here a couple years ago. One of ours got infected, but we did the Pen G in the cavity, babied him, and he came out fine.


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## lorit (May 10, 2010)

Vicki,
Vet has him on 2ml PenG twice a day - IM not subq. I trust you so am not asking for any reason other than to understand - but what is the difference between IM and subq as far as how the animal utilizes the meds? Does one work faster or what?

The Nuflor is what is every 48 hours -1.75mi also IM.

He is eating and drinking readily so that is good.

Billie,
The saline rinse is a great idea - will start today. How often?

And the PenG right in the cavity? Same dosage and timing?

I'll search for your story later - we are signing on our new house in two hours so I got to do just the basics now and more later.

Thanx gals!


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## stoneyheightsfarm (Jan 19, 2008)

As often as you think it needs it, but if you do the Pen after, give it time to hang around in there. You will probably only get a cc or two of the Pen in the cavity before it comes out. I got lots of great advise, and I think that thread is a great one for anyone going through this sort of thing. It will tell you what to expect through the whole ordeal--sure put me at ease! 

Congratulations on the house closing!


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## lorit (May 10, 2010)

An update: he seems better today. moving around more, browsing, even running some. The ick oozing out is less and turning clear versus the greenish color it was.

I tried the saline rinse and it is not open enough to really get inside - but I will keep cleaning him off with a warm washcloth and rinsing at least twice a day just to keep it as clean as possible.

I upped the PenG to 3cc and am alternating subq and IM since I never really found out what the difference is from an effectiveness point of view. Did try it once directly into the wound but again, the openings are small and didn't seem to take much at all.

Thanx for the help - anything I am missing? With him being on antibiotics should I be giving him probios and if so, how much and how often?


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## Feral Nature (Oct 26, 2007)

I do antibiotics subQ too. Actually everything subQ. When I banded Franny's horns, she got holes in her head you could drop small rocks in but no infection and I did not medicate her. She healed fine with a tiny gauze bandage that would not allow debris or insects in there. it was dry and no ooze though. I just posted the link on the thread about the bloody horn on this forum.


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

Goat Medicine which is our only vet text recommends that all OTC antibiotics be given subq. The goats simply don't have the muscle mass to give it IM. Vicki


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## lorit (May 10, 2010)

good to know - thanx


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## lorit (May 10, 2010)

Well, a sad day here. While he seemed to be doing so much better yesterday and was fine when I was out this morning - little Aspen just died. The children were playing in the pasture and came runnng to tell me he was laying down and breathing strange. I ran out and no response from his eyes. Took one more breath and died. Hauled him out of the field for hubby to help bury tonight.

MAIN lesson learned - always disbud no matter what you think you may end up doing with goat! I feel badly cuz it was my decisions that caused this. But pick up and go on and learn. 

Thanx for the advice and I hope other newbies can learn from this as well.


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## stoneyheightsfarm (Jan 19, 2008)

Oh no! I am so sorry!!!


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

Bummer....and I will add to put goats onto antibiotics when you get them dehorned, especially during fly season. Vicki


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## lorit (May 10, 2010)

We have actually had very little problems with flies. One a weird summer - other than a couple days here and there, it has been cool and mild. Two the place we are renting has never had livestock before and is in the middle of the woods so very little flies and stuff like that - lots of carpenter ants though.  And three I keep the barn REALLY clean and that keeps bugs down too. Even when he was first brought home and bandaged and bleeding there weren't any flies buzzing around.

So, yes I understand the advice but am not sure that was the specific cause of his getting an infection? Who knows I guess. He was just so healthy and everything going into it and my indecision on what to do with him when he was born caused the late dehorning.


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## stoneyheightsfarm (Jan 19, 2008)

These things are just so iffy. I had two boys done my first year, and the first one, while it was new and freaky looking and scared me half to death, did just fine. He seemed fine the entire time. I thought it was heading into an infection based on the color of the drainage, got the Pen in there (it doesn't take much) and he bounced right back. The second buck, I went ahead and did because the first one really wasn't that bad. If I remember right, he wound up on antibiotics for at least a week and I was really afraid I would lose him. He came out of it okay too, but it made me think that if I had a buck again that needed to be dehorned, I would really have to think long and hard about whether or not he would be better eaten, and that I could probably live with a little more scurring than I thought I could. Now that I'm not so new and am more comfortable with giving shots and whatnot, I might not have as hard a time, but it's certainly not an easy thing to go through. I couldn't tell you why one got such a bad infection and the other didn't either. There seemed no rhyme or reason for it. :/


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