Large Lump on cheek

I have a yearling mule deer buck that has developed a large lump on the cheek. It is higher up and larger than one would usually see lumpy jaw. the origin is basically right where the joint in the jaw would be and spreads to under his eye. Its almost perfectly round and looks like half a tennis ball. I watched him eat this morning but he does so with caution so it must hurt. His condition is still good but I need to help him out so he keep eating well and maintains condition. And of course he's my best yearling...always is. I don't know if it is hard or soft but if I had to guess by looks I would say soft. Any one have suggestions on how to treat. I really hope I dont have to knock him out.

Ben,

Sounds like an absess which will break by itself and then drain. Or you could just knock him down and cut a hole in the lower middle of the lump to make it drain and clean out faster. While down give him some LA 200 or Draxxin both which will fight that bacteria he has. I would use a large gauge needle and try to suck out some fluid. If green like tooth paste it is an absess. Then treat as above.

Ben - I know we hear from time to time on how dangerous it is to knock an animal out,ie whitetail. Now I don't know about mule deer, but as far as whitetails go(and I don't know why they would be different), one should never let the fear of putting them out interfere with any immediate or therapeutic treatment the animal needs. If knocking them down is the only means of administration of the drugs they need, or maybe just the better way, then by all means knock...them...down. The only exception would be if they are too weak to handle the anesthesia, which at that point, in many cases they aren't gonna make it anyway.

Know that I'm not suggesting you knock this animal down...I'm just saying...don't ever let the proper or immediate administration of drugs keep you from knocking them down.

I'm not scared at all to knock a whitetail down...not one bit!

As I look back, I can tell you for sure and for certain, the reluctance I use to possess on knocking them down has put more than one in the grave for me. Don't let it happen to you Ben.

Best of luck to ya!!

Ben I just had my best doe have this problem and I did not want to put her down being she is with fawns......I would have if I thought it was the only option for her yo get well....but as others have stated above.....keep an eye on it and ut should burst on it's own and he should ge fine....good luck......oh my doe is fine hers broke and drained on it's own.

Whether you cut it or not, give antibiotics. It's probably fusebacterium and may get worse before it breaks, and it may not break.

I will admit I felt it was best to let nature take it's course and let it break on it's own. It was easier on me really was why I did it this way. Then last year I had one just below the jaw area and let it and it did break but broke inside. As bad luck would have it, it broke and did drain but into the wind pipe. This of course did lead to the death of the animal. Had I made the hole on the outside to let it drain all would have been fine. I now knock them down or bring them into the handling facility and put the drain hole where I want it with the exception of a late PG doe. Jeff is right it is probably fusebacterium. All the samples I sent in over the years were identified as fusebacterium.

I have twice and always will... drain myself. If you let it go as jack says it drains on the inside.. Dead.. Why take that chance??

I am copying what Dr. Joe wrote about a similar problem on another farmer's earlier question:



Ok.. Here we go . This can be one of a few things. Lumpy jaw( actinomyces bovis), woody tongue( actinobacillus ligniersei), or fusobacterium (fusobacterium necrophorum). Yes, you can have woody tongue even when on the jaw but not into the bone. If attached to the bone, likely lumpy jaw, if soft tissue only- likely woody tongue. These are nicknames for 2 bacteria that are very similar. Good thing is, they are both susceptible to oxytetracyclines the best. Noromycin or tetradure at 5cc per 100 lbs in muscle and lasts approx 7 days. If bone is involved, you need to add NaI(sodium iodide) at 6 cc per 100 lbs iv and repeat in 14 days to penetrate into the bone. Fusobacterium is an anaerobic bug that is commonly found in the gi tract of livestock and is commonly found in contaminated soil( years of build up of fecal matter). These abscesses can form from trauma to cheek or face when eating prickly pear and simply biting their on cheeks, or from hard alfalfa stalks poking their cheeks as they eat. Both lumpy jaw and woody tongue bacteria are commonly found in the mouth. The trauma breaches the protective mucosa of the mouth allowing these bacteria to enter the tissue and the body walls off the organisms keeping them from "entering the body." thus abscessing(pus). They are not the same as CL(caseous lymphadenitis) in goats- CL is a different bacteria- archanobacterium pyogenes. In goats, CL when lanced can get into the soil, contaminating it, and you can be guaranteed to see other goats to develop it. Fusoguard works great to prevent the deer abscesses each year, especially in does prior to fawning to protect the fawns. Foods for thought- all these bacteria are treated the same- tetradure, noromycin, or sodium iodide if needed. Hope this helps, God bless and good luck!!

Thank you all for your help. I appreciate it greatly. If it has not ruptured by tomorrow I will knock him down, drain and medicate