Lumpy Jaw

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Caustic Burno said:
CCCowman said:
Anyone ever dealt with Lumpy Jaw? Is there a treatment?

Liver flukes will cause the appearance of lumpy jaw. If she hasn't s been treated for the flukes and is showing sign in the jaw, she's loaded.

My bull developed a big knot on his jaw back in March. Took him to the vet, drained a lot of puss out of it and said it was probably a tooth abscess. Gave him some shots (can't remember of what) and sent him home. Knot went down to almost unnoticeable but last week it came back with a vengeance. Took him back to the vet and he drained the knot again (probably twice the amount this time). The old boys jaw was hard as a rock. Vet said lumpy jaw. Only treatment was an IV for 2-3 weeks. 50/50 chance of working and expensive. Suggested taking the ol boy to the market. He's a 5 year old. Not registered but a really good looking bull that throws good calfs. Would it be worth taking him back and checking for liver flukes?
 
Cheaper to vaccinate for them than vet trip. If one has them they all have them.
It's an issue here in our wet warm environment.

"Affected cattle have rough coats which become pale in breeds, such as Herefords, that have red coats. Weight loss, poor milk production, "bottle jaw", anaemia and chronic diarrhoea are all symptoms of chronic fluke infestation. The "acute" form has been seen in dairy calves exposed to massive numbers of immature fluke."

https://www.merckvetmanual.com/digestive-system/fluke-infections-in-ruminants/overview-of-fluke-infections-in-ruminants
 
Yes. One of my girls was diagnosed when she was probably 5 and in her first trimester. Treatment was an IV of sodium iodide. Some say the sodium iodide can/may cause abortion but I've never had it happen and had two other cows treated for woody tongue. Anyway, one treatment and my girl was good to go. Finally sold her last year because she was 12, had 3 teeth, starting to lose condition and I really needed to cull.
 
There are two types of Lumpy jaw, one where bacteria infects the soft tissue of the mouth and the other the bone. It would seem like your bull has the more serious infection...in his jaw bone. Follow your vet's recommended treatment, it's difficult to get rid of but the fact that you have been able to drain it is good. A couple of good syringe squirts of peroxide into the abscess cleans the puss out nicely should it be necessary to drain again.

That's if you want to preserver and and take a chance BUT...consider the following first -

Is he losing condition? Have you managed to check in his mouth for further infections, loose teeth, ulcerations etc?

If he's losing weight, send him to the butcher sooner than later, they go down hill fast.
 
Abcesses are the easy ones to treat, lance, drain, flush with iodine and give an antibiotic

There are two cows here that had lump jaw in the bone. They were treated with a long regiment of powdered iodine given orally and LA. Some scarring and enlargement of bone is still noticeable but no advancement in several years.

Others won't respond no matter what one does for them.
 
Lump jaw and bottle jaw are two different things.lump jaw has nothing to do with flukes.

We see lots of lump jaw in pasture with lots of prickly pear and mesquite. Soft tissue lump jaw is caused by bacteria getting in through a cut or scratch in the mouth. We used to Lance and flush, but sometimes it comes back or spreads.
Imo the best treatment is don't do a dam thing.
Let come to a head and drain on its own.

Bony lump jaw is much less common and I doubt it's your problem. If it is cull immediately.

To tell the difference simply grab the knot with your hand and see if it's attached to bone or moves around freely.

Used to have a deer running around here named lump jaw. Farm Fence shot her while hunting my favorite stand....
 
callmefence said:
Lump jaw and bottle jaw are two different things.lump jaw has nothing to do with flukes.

We see lots of lump jaw in pasture with lots of prickly pear and mesquite. Soft tissue lump jaw is caused by bacteria getting in through a cut or scratch in the mouth. We used to Lance and flush, but sometimes it comes back or spreads.
Imo the best treatment is don't do a dam thing.
Let come to a head and drain on its own.

Bony lump jaw is much less common and I doubt it's your problem. If it is cull immediately.

To tell the difference simply grab the knot with your hand and see if it's attached to bone or moves around freely.

Used to have a deer running around here named lump jaw. Farm Fence shot her while hunting my favorite stand....

Heres a picture

 
CCCowman said:
callmefence said:
Lump jaw and bottle jaw are two different things.lump jaw has nothing to do with flukes.

We see lots of lump jaw in pasture with lots of prickly pear and mesquite. Soft tissue lump jaw is caused by bacteria getting in through a cut or scratch in the mouth. We used to Lance and flush, but sometimes it comes back or spreads.
Imo the best treatment is don't do a dam thing.
Let come to a head and drain on its own.

Bony lump jaw is much less common and I doubt it's your problem. If it is cull immediately.

To tell the difference simply grab the knot with your hand and see if it's attached to bone or moves around freely.

Used to have a deer running around here named lump jaw. Farm Fence shot her while hunting my favorite stand....

Heres a picture


Yeah that looks pretty bad.. and probably attached to the bone. Probably causing a good deal of pain. Give it good look, but I think probably should be prepared to the right thing and take him where all bulls eventually go.
 
callmefence said:
CCCowman said:
callmefence said:
Lump jaw and bottle jaw are two different things.lump jaw has nothing to do with flukes.

We see lots of lump jaw in pasture with lots of prickly pear and mesquite. Soft tissue lump jaw is caused by bacteria getting in through a cut or scratch in the mouth. We used to Lance and flush, but sometimes it comes back or spreads.
Imo the best treatment is don't do a dam thing.
Let come to a head and drain on its own.

Bony lump jaw is much less common and I doubt it's your problem. If it is cull immediately.

To tell the difference simply grab the knot with your hand and see if it's attached to bone or moves around freely.

Used to have a deer running around here named lump jaw. Farm Fence shot her while hunting my favorite stand....

Heres a picture


Yeah that looks pretty bad.. and probably attached to the bone. Probably causing a good deal of pain. Give it good look, but I think probably should be prepared to the right thing and take him where all bulls eventually go.

dag gum it.........
 
Yep, time to go. That is very painful and fever from it could render him sterile too.
 
I had my first experience with lump jaw last year in a calf. Talked to a few vets and alot of knowledgeable farmers in the area. Could cut it open and I was told to flush it with iodine daily. Also was told just leave it be get your use out of the animal then let him go.
 
Last fall my Jersey heifer got a lump on her jaw. It was hard and grew bigger. Not bothering her to eat. Then I could feel a soft spot. I took a brand new carpet knife and sliced into the lump. Puss shot out 2 feet. Smelled bad enough I almost vomited. I flushed it out with diluted chlorhexidine. It healed right up and is gone. I think she just got a sticker or piece of hay stuck in there and it abcessed. The lump jaw involving the bone usually wont drain. The bone starts disintegrating. it is unlikely he will recover if he has that. The fact his drains makes me think he doesn't have that. I would drain it. Flush it, give banamine to reduce inflammation, give excenel to kill infection. If you have a chute, you can do it yourself way cheaper than the vet charges.
 
darcelina4 said:
Last fall my Jersey heifer got a lump on her jaw. It was hard and grew bigger. Not bothering her to eat. Then I could feel a soft spot. I took a brand new carpet knife and sliced into the lump. Puss shot out 2 feet. Smelled bad enough I almost vomited. I flushed it out with diluted chlorhexidine. It healed right up and is gone. I think she just got a sticker or piece of hay stuck in there and it abcessed. The lump jaw involving the bone usually wont drain. The bone starts disintegrating. it is unlikely he will recover if he has that. The fact his drains makes me think he doesn't have that. I would drain it. Flush it, give banamine to reduce inflammation, give excenel to kill infection. If you have a chute, you can do it yourself way cheaper than the vet charges.
Bony lumpy jaw often has abscesses in it that you can drain, too, but draining them doesn't help or make the lump go away. Based on the picture, it doesn't look like there is much hope for him.
 
darcelina4 said:
Last fall my Jersey heifer got a lump on her jaw. It was hard and grew bigger. Not bothering her to eat. Then I could feel a soft spot. I took a brand new carpet knife and sliced into the lump. Puss shot out 2 feet. Smelled bad enough I almost vomited. I flushed it out with diluted chlorhexidine. It healed right up and is gone. I think she just got a sticker or piece of hay stuck in there and it abcessed. The lump jaw involving the bone usually wont drain. The bone starts disintegrating. it is unlikely he will recover if he has that. The fact his drains makes me think he doesn't have that. I would drain it. Flush it, give banamine to reduce inflammation, give excenel to kill infection. If you have a chute, you can do it yourself way cheaper than the vet charges.
This is what drained out.....

 
We have a few from feeding wheat hay and it being too mature. It is caused from the beard being too stiff. I just drain them with a large needle or a small knife. We seldom see the hard ones. You can tell by feeling and also by sticking a large needle in it.
 

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