Abscess/lump on ram

[blessedfarmgirl]

I just noticed a small lump on my rams jaw this morning. It's not bottle jaw because it's only on one side and it's slightly firm and his FAMACHA is good. I have no idea what it could be, and I'm worried it could be something serious. He's not tested for any diseases. Here are some pics. How do I know if it's harmless or dangerous?

 

[Mini Horses]

Looks like possible from his mouth issue...tooth, briar, etc. only way to tell for sure is check inside mouth, and/or to test the matter inside the lump. Blood test could suggest if infection, etc.

Any fever? Any tenderness from pressure around that area? Is lump pliable or hard?

Nothing about it suggests a major problem, IMO. Of course, it's fresh, may enlarge -- you'd like to know. Vet?

 

[Baymule]

Hard to diagnose from a picture. Maybe a bad tooth?

 

[blessedfarmgirl]

He didn't seem bothered we were touching it. It's firm but not hard. I'll check temp and also inside his mouth this evening and see what I find. I can't really afford a vet right now, so I need to do all I can to figure it out myself.

 

[Baymule]

If it is an abscess, it will grow larger and when “ripe” the hair will come off, showing the skin. Then you cut it open, squeeze the goop out. Flush with iodine and hydrogen peroxide. Leave open to drain. Isolate him so it doesn’t contaminate the other sheep. Wear gloves and capture all the pus on paper towels and throw it all away. Have a small trash bag to put everything in.
Call the vet and ask about having the pus tested. It’s not unusual for sheep to get abscesses from possible pokes in the mouth from hay stems, etc. But it can also be CL
and that is contagious. The vet may have a small bottle that you can get, to squeeze some of the pus in to be sent off for testing.

 

[SageHill]

Maybe a foxtail (if you get those out your way) abscess.

 

[Mini Horses]

Any update?

Difficult to check inside mouth...tie up short, thumb in mouth between front & rear teeth. Put something in front of mouth to keep it open -- piece of I" PVC pipe 8-10" long works for me -- to keep from getting your fingers chewed off. 🥴 Those teeth are sharp.
He'll close onto pipe in front. If that doesn't work, that pipe into side swollen, flashlight, so you can see. Feel with finger instead, carefully.

Also, look hard for any puncture on outside. Plus could be even a bug bite. If so, aspirin and swelling should be going down. Aspercreme or Absorbine on outer skin could help.

 

[SageHill]

Any update?

Difficult to check inside mouth...tie up short, thumb in mouth between front & rear teeth. Put something in front of mouth to keep it open -- piece of I" PVC pipe 8-10" long works for me -- to keep from getting your fingers chewed off. 🥴 Those teeth are sharp.
He'll close onto pipe in front. If that doesn't work, that pipe into side swollen, flashlight, so you can see. Feel with finger instead, carefully.

Also, look hard for any puncture on outside. Plus could be even a bug bite. If so, aspirin and swelling should be going down. Aspercreme or Absorbine on outer skin could help.

Oh yeah bug bite!
One of my ewes got a bee sting this summer - he face ballooned up. 😬. It was gone in a few days. It was hot and found bees in the water bucket.

 

[blessedfarmgirl]

Ok, I checked inside his mouth. Nothing stuck and no apparent injuries or bad teeth inside the mouth. (I don't think we have foxtails here.) The lump is on the outside of his jaw and I can move it around so I don't think it's swelling from a bug bite though that's still possible. It's very small and firm, not squishy. I think what I'll do is watch it carefully and separate him if/when it gets larger. Hopefully it will just go away on its own.
As a side note, I forgot the piece of pvc to stick inside his mouth. I now have a very sore finger. 😅
Thanks for all your help! I'll let you know how it turns out.

 

[blessedfarmgirl]

So I checked him today and the lump is slightly larger and ripening. I'm going to isolate him and see if it's ready to drain. I'm getting some scalpels in Monday that I was needing for a castration, but I may have to do it sooner with a sharp knife. I will call the vet today about getting the pus tested. Meanwhile, if I do drain it, how should I keep the pus? In a ziploc? Jar? In the fridge?