Localised infection only?

[Sunrise Stalker]

School boy error..."I'll just have a quick look...." one hour before I was due to meet a fellow syndicate member in another block. Saw a roe buck lying up in thick cover.
Had him in view in the scope for about 30 mins aware that time was ticking and I needed to get to the other block for the rendez-vous, but no clear shot with all the bracken and twigs in the way. Luckily he stood up and I took a neck shot which dropped him on the spot. Phoned my friend and explained the situation and that I'd be there asap. High speed gralloch - all looking good, very few ticks / keds, organs all healthy, lymph nodes in body all good, coat condition good etc, until I came to take the head off - cut down below the ear and all the pus poured out - see pics. (apologies if you're eating your breakfast right now).
I then had a better look at the rest of the neck and it seemed there was a puncture wound on the left hand side (from scrapping?) which I don't think was the bullet entry hole. I left the head and pluck on site but took the carcass home and is currently in the chiller (on it's own so no risk of cross contamination)
So lesson learned is "just having a quick look" is more like "just asking for trouble"

The question is: safe to eat (except the neck?) or bury it?

Many thanks

Alex

 

[Bavarianbrit]

Due to the blood stream the possibility is that the whole carcass has been exposed to this infection. I would dispose of it by burying, the vets on here will I hope reply soon.

 

[VSS]

If all other nodes and organs are OK, and you've identified a wound as the source of the localised infection, and the carcass sets ok, and you cut away the whole damaged area, I would say go ahead and eat it.

 

[TringSaint]

Likely just an abscess caused by a thorn or splinter whilst rubbing or could be an infected tooth that has filled into the jaw. See these all the time on cattle and the animal is healthy albeit with a litre of out floating around in its neck!

Most likely edible if you want to eat something that has had pus oozing out of it, that is!

 

[Sunrise Stalker]

Likely just an abscess caused by a thorn or splinter whilst rubbing or could be an infected tooth that has filled into the jaw. See these all the time on cattle and the animal is healthy albeit with a litre of out floating around in its neck!

Most likely edible if you want to eat something that has had pus oozing out of it, that is!

Yep was going to give the neck a miss...

 

[Heym SR20]

Probably ok to eat. But why risk it. When it comes to risk, I don’t like the use of the words “probably ok, but…..”.

 

[Buchan]

If all other nodes and organs are OK, and you've identified a wound as the source of the localised infection, and the carcass sets ok, and you cut away the whole damaged area, I would say go ahead and eat it.

Agreed. The wound looks old and is probably related to the abscess. Check the prescapular nodes as a guide to if this has spread.

 

[tim@tcs]

Dog food

 

[Tim.243]

School boy error..."I'll just have a quick look...." one hour before I was due to meet a fellow syndicate member in another block. Saw a roe buck lying up in thick cover.
Had him in view in the scope for about 30 mins aware that time was ticking and I needed to get to the other block for the rendez-vous, but no clear shot with all the bracken and twigs in the way. Luckily he stood up and I took a neck shot which dropped him on the spot. Phoned my friend and explained the situation and that I'd be there asap. High speed gralloch - all looking good, very few ticks / keds, organs all healthy, lymph nodes in body all good, coat condition good etc, until I came to take the head off - cut down below the ear and all the pus poured out - see pics. (apologies if you're eating your breakfast right now).
I then had a better look at the rest of the neck and it seemed there was a puncture wound on the left hand side (from scrapping?) which I don't think was the bullet entry hole. I left the head and pluck on site but took the carcass home and is currently in the chiller (on it's own so no risk of cross contamination)
So lesson learned is "just having a quick look" is more like "just asking for trouble"

The question is: safe to eat (except the neck?) or bury it?

Many thanks

Alex

It is just one deer with a lot of them around then bin it and shoot the next one, for those who say it is ok well they are at the other end of the key board which is easy to say it is fine to eat as they are not eating it.
The thing is there are lots of healthy deer around to shoot, flip it around and if it was one of your livestock you were taking to market and the vet picked it up while in the waiting stalls then you will be taking it home...

 

[VSS]

if it was one of your livestock you were taking to market and the vet picked it up while in the waiting stalls then you will be taking it home...

No different from an animal going via market to an abattoir with an injection site abscess. It'll be picked up by the meat hygiene inspectors during the carcass inspection, the affected part will be trimmed out, and provided the rest of the carcass is OK it'll be passed as fit.

 

[HonestJohn]

I’d eat the back straps and haunches off that one

 

[Mr. Gain]

Thanks for the conundrum and the images. It's really interesting to see such a contrast of localised infection and otherwise good condition. It indicates how good bodies can be at isolating infections in abscesses. I suppose the retropharyngial or (and?) submandibular nodes would have been working hard on that one, but it's no surprise you didn't keep cutting to check them out!

 

[Buchan]

Thanks for the conundrum and the images. It's really interesting to see such a contrast of localised infection and otherwise good condition. It indicates how good bodies can be at isolating infections in abscesses. I suppose the retropharyngial or (and?) submandibular nodes would have been working hard on that one, but it's no surprise you didn't keep cutting to check them out!

Possibly not as they drain from the head. the neck drains to neck, possibly the periscapular area

 

[Tim.243]

Possibly not as they drain from the head. the neck drains to neck, possibly the periscapular area

Just because you could put it in the food chain don't mean you should or could given the choice of shooting a deer with out a neck full of puss.
Far more healthy ones get run over each day.

 

[pob]

I shot a roe doe once which didn't look too healthy, although all the usual things checked out in the gralloch. I was discussing whether to eat it or not with the guide.
He said that it's a bit like when you make a cup of tea and you're not sure if the milk is on the turn or not; you're never going to truly enjoy that cup. There's always a concern at the back of your mind.
I buried it.

 

[Sunrise Stalker]

Sounds like general consensus is to bury it, as mentioned - plenty of other deer hopping about so I'll do that. Thanks for the advice everyone! Alex

 

[Tim.243]

Sounds like general consensus is to bury it, as mentioned - plenty of other deer hopping about so I'll do that. Thanks for the advice everyone! Alex

with the other replies of keep it is 2 fold
1 what it is worth
2 I will say keep it because I can

The best answer was " I think the milk is off" tip it in you tea/coffee only to see the curdled lumps when you really knew it was off all the time.
Good call
Shame on those who said keep it...

 

[Overlay]

If there’s doubt chuck it out

If any doubt let your mr sensible hopefully in everyone kick in and incinerate or dispose of properly

If you got that in a butchers shop as you found it, how would you feel about buying in another

 

[25 Sharps]

Just because you could put it in the food chain don't mean you should or could given the choice of shooting a deer with out a neck full of puss.
Far more healthy ones get run over each day.

with the other replies of keep it is 2 fold
1 what it is worth
2 I will say keep it because I can

The best answer was " I think the milk is off" tip it in you tea/coffee only to see the curdled lumps when you really knew it was off all the time.
Good call
Shame on those who said keep it...

Of course, someone who has a different opinion to you Tim must be wrong, and should be ashamed of the themselves.

 

[VSS]

If you got that in a butchers shop as you found it, how would you feel about buying in another

You wouldn't have found it like that in a butcher's shop, because the affected area would have been cut out first. Have you ever been in an abattoir?