Huge Liver Abscess or what? ??

[waggy 1]

Anyone come across this before, Not sure what it is ! fallow pricket, seems in Very good condition apart from this huge lump on his liver.. all lymph nodes appeared normal, any thoughts greatly appreciated as I’ve Never seen it before in 40 years stalking!!
Would the carcass be ok for the dogs or should I burn it?

 

[finnbear270]

Jeeze, some pus there.

 

[waggy 1]

Jeeze, some pus there.

It was just like runny custard!!

 

[South of the M4]

Anyone come across this before, Not sure what it is ! fallow pricket, seems in Very good condition apart from this huge lump on his liver.. all lymph nodes appeared normal, any thoughts greatly appreciated as I’ve Never seen it before in 40 years stalking!!
Would the carcass be ok for the dogs or should I burn it?

If you are sure there are no other abscesses in the entire carcass, including the musculature, ie popliteal deep in the rear legs etc, then it could well be caused by bacteria entering via the umbilical cord when young.
The bacteria either gets arrested and may be encapsulated causing an abscess, or become generalised, a pyaemia, and kill the young deer if it’s immune system wasn’t mature enough to cope.
Looks like the former, but best to check everything. If OK, and you say the deer was in very good condition, should be good to enter the food chain.

 

[Buchan]

I can only see this on my phone, but Id be wary that could be a TB abscess. Most of the ascending infections from birth become more solid in appearance rather than full abscess I’ll look on the big screen later

 

[deerstalker.308]

Some butter onions and a frying pan…… mmmmmm delicious, just with some added “special sauce”

 

[Buchan]

I've had a better look now. And still feel one has to regard that as suspicious of TB and I wouldn't feed it to anything!

Ascending infections around birth tend to become hard, fibrous lesions at this age. The only circumstances I can see an abscess developing like that that isn't TB would be a penetration injury through the abdominal wall, or through a "wire". The latter used to be common in cattle, they'd eat a nail and it gets lodged in the reticulum and can then pass from there to surrounding organs including through the diapragm and into the heart. So if there was scar tissue from stomach to liver, that would be your reason and a safe carcass. If not, bin it and report it

 

[John Gryphon]

I wouldn't eat it just in case.
Try this for an abscess on/in a bull.

 

[Stalker_AG]

I wouldn't eat it just in case.
Try this for an abscess on/in a bull.

Is that strawberry milkshake?

 

[John Gryphon]

Is that strawberry milkshake?

Close,raspberry caramel.

 

[South of the M4]

Hundreds of cattle enter the food chain with liver abscesses found at the abattoir. The meat industry would be in crisis if all domesticated animals with a single liver abscess - and no other indications whatsoever - were to be binned.

The OP says this fallow was a pricket, so just over a year old, in very good condition and no other signs in any lymph nodes.
Whatever happened to the one abscess rule of thumb?

It will be interesting to see what the lab report is, if tested, as the liver is not a primary site of infection for TB.

 

[devon deer stalker]

Would the carcass be ok for the dogs or should I burn it?

You need to report it as a case of suspected TB, good luck with that route!
Cheers
Richard

 

[willie_gunn]

You need to report it as a case of suspected TB, good luck with that route!
Cheers
Richard

In my personal experience I have found that process to be both easy and painless. It was also interesting and educational from a deer health and welfare perspective.

I would naturally expect some might have experienced things differently and would prefer not to go down that route. However where the alternatives presented are either to follow the law or wilfully ignore it, I would recommend the former.

 

[finnbear270]

Personally,I would not want to be taking the risks, OK if you are a meat inspector stamping stuff up .................Me, I would not feed anything to a dog / My dogs that I would not eat myself.

 

[shakey jake]

contact the weird badger eating guy, he probably bite you hand off, in every sense