A:   The most common cause of abscesses in goats is a bacteria called Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis. The condition is called caseous lymphadenitis. It is a contagious disease, spread from goat to goat when the abcesses break open and contaminate feed and bedding. Abcesses may be surgically opened and drained to control environmental exposure, or surgically removed. However, once established in a herd, the disease is difficult to eliminate.