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Swollen cheek

S

Sandridge Whitetails

Joined May 2009
685 Posts | 0+
Northwest Illinois
I have a 3 year old buck that carries good flesh, eats good, and acts right, yet he has a swollen cheek that similates a cheek full of tabacco. I have seen this in other people's deer pens, this is the first one in mine. Should I knock him down and lance the bottom part of this swollen cheek and treat him with antibiotic, or just dart him with Draxxin, or do nothing? Except for the swollen cheek, he has all the earmarks of a healthy deer. My main conern is this: my plan is to sell this buck this year and althought he has all the earmarks of a healthy buck abscent of the swollen cheek, could this cheek thing affect his antler development?

Mark
 
It can be several things...A few possibilities...Food impaction,True lumpy jaw,or if you wormed it can be a dead worm that may work it's way out.

Also if you feed hay with a hard stem or he eats brows it may be a splinter of that.

Best of luck
 
Please don't take this the wrong way...but We can't learn this way...If I am wrong (kindly)please state so, I (we) only learn because of past experience.

I always state in my opinion...it may be...In my case...I have tried...My vet that we had used to treat deer since 1995 retired ...Our new vet is willing to learn...but ...



We all need to share...

And need to understand that it my not work in your case, but need options to include or exclude.

We all need and want to learn how to best care for our animals.
 
Had a few deer with the same problem. I use cracked corn to bump my feed in the winter to add carbs and to keep them coming to the feeder. I used Draxxin a few times and had good results.
 
I think some people have decided that it gets too be to argumentative on here sometimes and I think that is why some are going to direct emails and calls. That and it can be easier at times to just talk about an issue. I myself have decided to do more direct emails and phone calls. We will help people whenever we can, with whatever insight or ideas we might have. But I for one am tired of some of the back stabbing and childish crap. Besides I think most everyone knows just as much as the next guy, but it is the talking through that helps people decide what to do sometimes.
 
Trust me I have been bitten several times...But I feel to loose the wealth of knowledge on here would be an injustice to all ...

I feel everybody needs to leave the drama and hard feeling else where...

A forum isn't a place to air grievances and prove points...

Some of you know Who I am talking to and about and some I have told directly...

I for one hate drama and stupid Bull crap and feel it needs to be left else where or deer are going to suffer.
 
I agree with you guys post your opinion right or wrong i thought this was what these forums were for you truley can't learn anything if you dont ask i watched these forums for 2 years before i decided to post now i look forward to it for people to critize others is some peoples nature but i have found in my short time in the business that true DEER FARMERS are ALWAYS there for one another right opion or not just my thought i will keep posting right or wrong i will be here to help,offer my thoughts or opion to any other DEER FARMER who might need it W/S that's why i'll always end my post JUST LIVIN THE DREAM " I finally have realized how blessed i have become since becoming a DEER FARMER !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
I think what Roger was trying to say and what John was trying to do is that in order to save time and diagnose the problem correctly a direct email or phone call would be better and sometimes time is the most important factor. I dont think either of the two would back down from a discussion or not share information that would help anyone. I think what theyve done and are doing is good and right on their part. I also believe the best information will come if Mark updates this posting with the symptoms, diagnosis, treatment he used, and the results good or bad. If we all have that then we have enough information to make our own decisions on the process and it will be here for everyone to have....... Just my thoughts...
 
I do agree with that... You need to see what is happening and has happened before the problem started...

But I have seen this forum take a bad turn and would like it turned around...

I quit coming on here ...then decided I don't care if people can't play nice...I would try again, but I must say...I am getting tired of the games.
 
Sorry, was trying to figure out if the deer had lump jaw or just a feed impaction. Attached is a picture of a buck with feed impaction...



Notice how the lump is lower on the jaw, somewhat oblong and towards the front of the jaw.
 

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Sandridge Whitetails said:
I have a 3 year old buck that carries good flesh, eats good, and acts right, yet he has a swollen cheek that similates a cheek full of tabacco. I have seen this in other people's deer pens, this is the first one in mine. Should I knock him down and lance the bottom part of this swollen cheek and treat him with antibiotic, or just dart him with Draxxin, or do nothing? Except for the swollen cheek, he has all the earmarks of a healthy deer. My main conern is this: my plan is to sell this buck this year and althought he has all the earmarks of a healthy buck abscent of the swollen cheek, could this cheek thing affect his antler development?

Mark
Click to expand...



If it is pack jaw there is pretty much nothing you can do other than dart them down and remove the rotting food that is packed in and give him a shot of penicillin and hope it works. But when the cheek gets stretched out there is not much you can do other than clean it out every now and then. Hope this helps.
 
Very well put Isaac . There isn't allot you can do except clean it out and hope, unless you cut the cheek and stitch it back tighter but then they don't eat much for awhile and can go down hill fast . Just a thought .
 
Yeah. If it is pack jaw it can be quite a problem. Full House just passed away this past weekend from pack jaw related issues. :(
 
Isaac, sorry to hear that news! He's always been one of my favorite typicals along with amos. Please give Darrel my condolences! Guy's, a good freind of mine got this from Doc McBride here in Tx. for impaction. Sounds to simple but has worked for Dee on one doe. Clean it out and worm just like normal, then hit them with Bose per/directions on bottle and repeat in 10 days and it worked!!! I've struggled with this over the years to but it's worth a try. If you do it keep all of us posted. ZZ
 
we have a yearling fawn we got from Pa in feb about 10 days later got lump in upper part of jaw under the eye lanced bottom side of lump drawed out gunk flushed out the loaded area up with med vaccinated her with new fuzo vaccine our state is using now its june and she getting it back again going to draw it down send off to penn state and new port to get a culture anyone ever had this ???????? W/S "JUST LIVIN THE DREAM"
 
W/S yes we had the same problem in the same exact location on a yearling last year.......we darted....lanced it and got all the gunk out....we washed the pocket out thoroughly with saline solutiion and then we actually filled the pocket with penicillan and washed the pocket out with that a few times.......we then gave the deer a dose of draxin and it recovered fine.......but sounds like you did the same...maybe we just got lucky.........we really flushed it out and flushed it out...we were almost finished and hit another little pocket of puss.....I think it's just a matter of getting all of the crap out and loading them up with antibiotics........like i said sounds to me like you did everthing right......sometimes it's successful and sometimes not.....I bet it's just a nasty infection..........Good Luck!!
 
Are we talking about a lump caused by feed being trapped between the cheek and gum, or are we talking about an abscess filled with fluid?



I'm a little confused on this one and trying to figure out exactly which type we are talking about.



Regards,

John
 

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