FieldDxLumpy Jaw and Wooden TongueClinical signs, differential diagnosis, treatment and prevention in cattle.
Overview
Two related but distinct chronic bacterial infections of cattle -- one of bone, one of soft tissue. Lumpy jaw: Actinomyces bovis (affects bone, chiefly the mandible). Wooden tongue: Actinobacillus lignieresii (affects soft tissue, chiefly the tongue). Zoonotic: this condition can pass to people.
Clinical signs
- Lumpy jaw: slow-growing, firm mass attached to the mandible or maxilla; ulceration and draining purulent tracts in some cases.
- Wooden tongue: very hard, diffusely swollen, painful tongue; excessive salivation, inability to prehend feed normally, tongue may protrude; firm swelling in the intermandibular space.
Predisposing factors
- Lumpy jaw: Actinomyces bovis, entering through oral mucosal breaks, affecting bone. Wooden tongue: Actinobacillus lignieresii, affecting soft tissue, especially the tongue.
Treatment
Prolonged antimicrobial therapy (e.g. sodium iodide, penicillin); surgical debridement for advanced lumpy jaw lesions.
Drugs mentioned: Sodium Iodide Iodide Penicillin G Penicillin V
Prevention
Avoid coarse, sharp feed that damages oral mucosa (e.g. spiky awns, thistles).
Source
MSD Veterinary Manual — Actinobacillosis in Animals (accessed 2026-08-11)
A Textbook of the Diseases of Cattle, Horses, Sheep, Pigs and Goat by ELSEVIER — Actinomycosis (Lumpy Jaw)
Condensed and attributed, never reproduced whole. Open the full entry in the app.