Need guidance on sick wether

You can even try pharmacy...I looked on line and some online pharmacies have it

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Teach only Love...for that is what You are

Another thing to give is acepromizine (sp). Small animal vets carry it and can give you the dosage. It will relieve the pain and relax him. That will make it easier to pass the stones if that is what it is.

Stones can be massaged out sometimes too.

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Also Quit giving him any grain at all right now! That is most likely what is causing the problem in the 1st place. My heart is breaking for this little guy because I just went through this not too long ago! He has to have AC & if only going a few drops it's an EMERGENCY!! If he get's completely blocked where he's not going at all & he can't get relief his little bladder will literally burst in a matter of days! I don't want to scare you but it is important to find a vet to do the Urethra process & also find someone with Ammonium chloride(AC).
Is there any other farms in your area that you might ask for AC in this case until you can get some?
Fias co. website does explain how to do the urethra process & I helped my vet with mine but it is Hard to get them to stick their little penis out when you want them too & grab hold of it at the same time to snip that worm off the end. If you can do it snip as close to the end of the penis without cutting his actual penis of course.
Fishhead is right though something for pain Banamine from the vet would be great will ease the pain & help him relax & maybe you could help massage it out but it might be too big.
Also if you can't get anything from the vet this late for pain dissolve I would say 8 to 10 regular aspirins in water & syringe that down him for the pain. I gave mine 4 aspirins(325 grain) twice a day and he weighed 60 pounds.
Please keep us up on how he's doing, I am really worried about your little guy!

After a b'zillion phone calls, I finally got some ac from a pharmacy. They were hesitant to sell me some. Is it also used in making drugs or something?

Anyway, we gave Sammy a dose. I sure hopes this works!

None of the feed stores carry it, and most have never heard of it. I did call another vet, but I could make an appt for a few days down the road. That's the only way he'd prescribe some for me. So I started calling pharmacies. Oh, the occasional perils of living in the boonies!

Thanks to all of you. I'll be ordering some ac to keep on hand because the pharmacist would only sell me about 4 TBLS worth.

Sammy and the others have been put to bed for the night. There's nothing else we can do at this point. I hope he's better in the morning.

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They've been getting some pellets at night, mostly to get them to run nicely into their own stalls, but like I mentioned before... I think Sammy's problem stems from last week when he somehow managed to get into a bin of 50-50/salt mix for the cattle that was in the barn. The other goats were there with him, but wouldn't eat it... I'm assuming because of the high salt. But, Sammy did. There's a lot of corn in the cattle mix, too, so I think that may have caused the problem. That problem has been resolved, and that bin no longer exists.

He doesn't seem to be in a lot of pain. He was walking around foraging, then would lay down for awhile. When he'd get up, as someone mentioned, that's when he strains to pee. He isn't lethargic, and he isn't defensive. He just isn't himself (i.e., not calling me when I walk out the door).

I forgot to mention in my previous post that I called cattle and goat people around here. Only one goat farmer even knew what we were talking about. He said that he "gives them a shot of LA200, but most of them die". Isn't LA200 an antibiotic? Seems to me that he isn't really doing anything to solve the problem. Am I on track with this thinking?

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If you would like me to I would be happy to send you some more AC to have on hand. At least until you can get some ordered. if you would like email me lharfert@msn.com. I will get it in the mail right away if you would like. He will need to be on a daily dose I would guess for a while.

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Lori

I'm glad you found some even if it's just a little to hold you over...please keep us posted. I'm leaving town tomorrow and don't know if I will have computer access until Sunday(UGH). I will be thinking about you and your goat and hoping for a fast recovery

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EasyDay, it is no wonder that the guy's animals die if he gives an antibiotic for UC. I can't think how in the world that would help.

I'm betting that 4 T of ac does the job. It didn't take much for mine.
I am surprised, though, that a vet would need to see your animal and write a script for ac. It is not a prescription item. Like I said, I buy it by the ounce at the feed store. I would not make a vet appointment for this, myself.

mary

Sweet goats, how very kind of you to offer, but I will order some online tonight. Thank you, though.

Minelson, you're leaving town when a fellow goat-lover needs your moral support? Just kidding! Have a safe trip, and you can catch up when you return. Something is bound to happen - good or bad - by the time you return.

Mary T, I think we got about 3 1/2 TBS in him. Hopefully, between that and the vinegar treatment, he has enough acid in his urine to eat whatever is plugging him up.

When DH hung up the phone from him, he said, "No wonder Jeremy's goats die!" Sad, but true.

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LOL! Thanks EasyDay...like I don't have enough guilt going on leaving all my critters with a babysitter

I'm sure I'll find a computer...I am VERY addicted to this forum (as you can probably tell by all my posts)

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I'm glad you got some AC. I hope the amount you got will work. If you don't see an improvement by morning (and if it is gonna work you will see an improvement) I would call the pharmacy to get some more for another days dose. It is all gonna depend on how much of a blockage he has. As I said, my cat does this and we get him cleared and it comes back. So this is something he will need for a while until the blockage is completely cleared. We did lose our buck that had it after about 6 months and 3 surgeries later. You will become alerted to the signs and catch it sooner next time (if it happens again). Good luck to you and the fella. Please keep us posted.

Easyday, if it's going to cost you too much ordering the AC from the online store maybe Sweet Goats or I can get it to you cheaper. They have those flat rate boxes that are I think $8.?? to mail something no matter how much it weighs. I'm so Happy you found some AC, how much did you give him the 1st dose? He really should have 1tsp per day for awhile at least. I topdress my bucks alfafa pellets with a little molasses to make it stick but a little cooking oil will do the same, molasses justs makes it taste better since it is bitter.
I would really give it to him daily for the rest of his life if he were my goat, once they have had stones it is more common for them to recur.
No wonder your neighbors goats just die, you can't cure UC with an antibiotic!
What a terrible painful death for his goats, their bladder actually explodes because it can't relieve the pressure after so many stones build up, I feel bad for his goats!
Please let us know how he's doing in the A.M. & if he has a steady stream of pee yet in the morning? Also if you want me to mail some AC just P.M. & I'm going to the post office tomarrow anyways! Sure hope he does good & we caught it in time, He might not even need to go to the vet if you can get him peeing good all the time with AC before that.

Easyday, Just wanted to know how your little wether is doing? Sure hope he's going more than a couple drips! Did you find any more AC to hold you over till some can get there in the mail?

I hope your wether is better!
For what it is worth, here is my story.
We used to be not concerned about UC. Then we lost our sweet yearling to it. The vet said he sees it a lot when it is cold, the boys just don't drink enough water to keep crystals from forming. So, now we do not feed alfalfa, and we have lots of water buckets inside the stall, and offer warm water when it is very cold. (we used to just have water outside, my fam did not see way I wanted buckets inside making a mess and more hassle till afterward.) The vet did give is ac, but we don't use it as teh whole herd is together. Maybe next winter when it gets real cold we will oput all the boys together so we can.

Alfalfa will help prevent UC by supplying the necessary calcium. The stones are formed from phosphorus and not calcium so the problem often comes from grain not alfalfa.

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"Do you believe in the devil? You know, a supreme evil being dedicated to the temptation, corruption, and destruction of man?" Hobbs
"I'm not sure that man needs the help." Calvin

We were feeding alfalfa hay and no grain. UC comes from an imbalance of calcium and phosphorus. I like Carolyn Eddy's book 'Taking Care of Wethers.'

jBlaze, I tried a few different things since I'll have to give AC to this buck the rest of his life but didn't want to mix in water & squirt down his throat everyday & any grain topdressed with AC & 3 days he had crystals & bleeding again. He has been getting 1/3 cup (he's 60 pounds) of alfafa pellets topdressed with a little molasses & AC for about a month now & he's doing GREAT. He also has free loose mineral & all the alfafa & grass hay the boys want. No more grain for males on my farm. I was scared to death that he'd have to be put down & we really love this little smelly guy!!
Your right it being an imbalance of Phosphorus to calcium ratio, but I think it also has to do with iron in your water, and the individual goat. I think it's what's finding out best for your animals & keeping them healthy.

Easyday... how is he doing?? I've been on the edge of my seat just thinking about this all day long...

At what age should a weather be given the AC? My neighbor has 2, so I should tell her whats going on....

Hello everyone.. I been reading the forum for a long time but haven't been able to post messages or reply until today. I to have been thinking about this all day and was up late last night reading this thread and wishing i could post a reply, Vicki if you helped with me being able to post I really appreicate it. I have pets goats and currently have 12.. Two of which has over the years had UC.. Its a sickening feeling when you have a dear pet wether that screams in pain from the blockage and its the middle of the night. Very long story short those to wethers are still with me today. One will be 14 May 6 of this year and the other turned 5 in March.. The one that will be 14 this year its been 10 years since he had his problem and the other its been 4 years, he was nine months old at the time, I thought that was to young, but I was wrong.. AC works and I have been using it daily for years and years. My wethers and girls run together and everyone gets it. I order it by the 40 pound bag from my co-op..it cost around 26 dollars a bag. thats for 40 pounds.. that cheap insurance for such a painful and deadly problem.. THey don't carry it at the store but they order it from their feed plant where its used and mixed in with different types of feeds.. I don't trust just feeding the feeds that have AC mixed in.. If you have a co-op in your location then they should be able to have it brought in with their weekly feed ordered from the feed plant. Co-op's mix and bag most of their name brand feeds.. At my co-op I didn't take no for an answer and ask the manager to see that it was ordered from their plant. I been getting a 40 pound bag from them every year for years.. again I just have 12 goats. It don't taste good and at first your goat might turn up their nose at their feed and look at your like what's up with this mom, but they will eventualy start eatting their gain topped dressed with it. Easyday my thoughts and prayers are with you and your wether during this time.

Hello, everyone... EasyDay here!

Sorry to keep ya'll in suspense!

Sammy seems better today. He's not straining, and he peed on DH's hand this morning. That was a good sign. He baaa'd at me twice, which he hasn't done in several days, and he saw DH with grain for the cows and came running to the fence. All good signs.

I massaged him (his winkie and that area) quite a bit yesterday, running my thumb and finger from the base to tip of his shaft to try to move anything that might be blocking. After everything we've done to him the last couple of days, I figured he'd either be better or dead this morning. Praise the lord it was the former!

We're keeping a close eye on him. I do have some questions for some of you, but don't have the time right now to think them out. I'll jump back on later this evening or tomorrow morning, so please don't go too far away.

Appreciate all of your help. I don't think he's out of the woods, but improved a whole lot. Thanks to all of you!!

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