Food/Impaction/Arterial worm

(20,24,35); Was wanting to know if any of you ever had a deer that would get food impacted in cheek and if so what are some of the things that cause it. I have a 6 month old buck fawn that is getting food impacted in his cheek on both sides. About 4 weeks ago he was not feeling well and belly sounded like water bottle when he ran. I darted him gave antibiotics and next day he acted 100% better. He was looking fine from then on eating acting normal. Then about two weeks ago he had a littl (20,24,35); e knot on the side of his mouth towards back. I darted him because I thought it was the start of lumpy jaw. When I looked at it close didn't look like lumpy jaw opened his mouth and he had a small amount of chewed up leaves packed back in the back of his cheek pulled it out and then the cheek looked fine from the outside. Looked good the next day and then about 3 days ago I went out and he looked like a 100 lb chimpunk tying to store nuts for the winter. His cheeks on both sides look like you cut an apple in half and slide each side into the back of his cheeks. I let it go a few days to see if it would leave and it did look like it might have gotten a little smaller. I darted him again yesterday and he had leaves, hay, and a little chewed up feed packed in his cheek on both sides. The closer you got to the very back of the mouth on the side the firmer it was packed it did smell a little bad. I held his head downward and rinsed his cheeks out and looked with a flash light to see if there was any infection but it all looked good. I guess just from being packed in that warm moist environment for days or more all the way in the back it started to ferment. I gave him some antibiotics and wormer just in case there was any infection but im sure there wasn't. I looked online for food impaction in deer,goats, sheep. I found it could be a cut and food started to pack in it or a bad tooth. i also found something that said arterial worms can cause them to lose muscle function in the cheek muscle. If anyone every dealt with this in a year old deer or younger would like to know if they out grew it or if they found a reason etc., why its happening. Even with the packed cheeks he is eating and acting normal. Thank you,


 

Arterial worm is probably the cause.  The only thing that I have found that would work on Arterial worms is a liquid dewormer called Wazine 34.  The 34 stands for 34% piperzine which is the active ingredient.  You can also buy Wazine 17 which is half the strength of Wazine 34.  You can put this in the water for 3-5 days.  It works much better as a preventative but is the only treatment I know of.  If used at least once a year on the whole herd, you will likely not see this issue again.  The best thing you can do is keep it cleaned out until the product has a chance to kill the worms.  Good luck!

We use Wazine every year. Not sure how it works once you have a problem though.