Help with a thin goat

CaliannG · #61 10/10/12, 07:56 PM

Okay, tomorrow, another 1cc dose of the Ivomectin paste.

I do not know your financial situation, but if at all possible, call your vet tomorrow morning and ask for:

5cc Baycox (Toltrazuril) if s/he has it on hand. That is your best bet. If s/he doesn't have it on hand, ask your vet for a TREATMENT plan, *not* a *preventative plan, but TREATMENT, for coccidia using the Corid.

Ask for Mineral Max injectable vitamin/mineral supplement (this is labelled for cattle), a dose for 50#. (Getting one dose shots should not be very expensive) That should hold you over until the gel gets there, and should address possible issues with barberpole worms. (treated with copper)

Tonight, at the next drenching, SQ shots (do your best) of both B-Complex and the Thiamine, dosage as per label by weight. Tomorrow morning, do the A&D.

Have you checked his eyelids via the FAMANCHA chart linked above? If they are pale according to the chart, also give iron.

That is what I can think of right now.

ETA: I really, really wish I could teleport myself and my goat medicine kit to you right now!

Minelson · #62 10/10/12, 08:00 PM

I did a 6 day Nuflor with Gretta recently. It stings! With her it was a few seconds after I administered it. I did it in the arm pit area sub Q. 3 cc's a day. I also gave her 5 grams of Probios a day and continued that for a week after the Nuflor was done. Now I'm giving her probios just a couple times a week.

GoldenWood Farm · #63 10/10/12, 08:03 PM

Everyone has given great replies. I strongly urge you though if you can have a fecal done on him. It could help you a lot with knowing what is going on with him. Good job on getting his temp coming back up though

. I am praying for you guys that he makes a full recovery.

Oh and for the CMPK gel I believe there are recipes online to actually make your own CMPK. Yep I found the recipe here Hypocalcemia - CMPK Kitchen Recipe - Dairy Goat Care and Management .

Stilts I am pulling for you buddy! Hang in there

.

Justine

**edited to add**
For Sub-Q shots something a friend taught me which helps is bending the animal's body gently to make a U and on the inside you should be able to get more pliable skin. I hope that makes sense, I have used the way my friend taught me on newborns and dehydrated goats and it does help.

ani's ark · #64 10/10/12, 10:20 PM

Praying for Stilts to get well. He sure is a cutie from the pic. Good on you for going all out to save him, and Caliann for staying 'right there beside' you.

nod4eight · #65 10/11/12, 01:08 AM

This is Kayann, Nod is sound a sleep but I did check his temp and we are 104.00 and he is breathing heavier and making a few sounds, I have been syringing him some electrolytes and was reading something awhile ago about Diatamaceous Earth.. It has a lot of the minerals that we are discussing him being deficient in... Is that something that I might go ahead and put in one of his syringes of electrolytes?? Mine is food safe...

Clovers_Clan · #66 10/11/12, 08:12 AM

Kayann- Here is a trustworthy website I use a lot. Scroll down to the bottom re: Diatomaceous Earth. There doesn't seem to be a consensus that it even works, but there are a couple of precautions if you do try it.

1) It is dangerous to breathe the dust, and if Stilts has pneumonia that would definitely be a concern.

2) The DE used in swimming pools is especially harmful to breathe. Food grade is recommended.

Fias Co Farm: Goat Wormers, chemical and herbal wormer information

In the state that he is in, absorbing all the vitamins and minerals he needs is going to be tough. If you can get the vitamins(Bs) in him by injection/orally for now, thats doing good. The minerals will come more gradually. Products like the Replamin do the best job of delivery, because it is balanced and makes everything accessible for uptake.

If you don't have Replamin or similar on hand, I would recommend just crushing up a complete multivitamin(for humans) mixing it with plain yogurt and drenching him. You can do this a couple of times a day. The vitamin/mineral content in those is fairly similar to the supplements. Multivitamins are water soluble, so it would be hard to overdose, excess will flush out of their system. His system is not going to be soaking it up well to begin with. I have tried this with my rescues, with good results. From my experience with my sick goats, they need the vitamins, especially the Bs, to repair cells. It is not until the cells in their intestine are functioning well enough that they again start utilizing the minerals well. They will be anemic for a while, they will be copper deficient for a while. It is a very gradually thing. The mineral deficiencies will be the very last thing to recover.

Right now he is clinging to life: Keep him hydrated, temperature under control, stop the invaders(worms, coccidia, bad bacteria), keep electrolytes in balance. Think of it this way, his digestive tract is temporarily out of commission, you are basically feeding him cellularly with the ringers, glucose and B injections. (The probiotics are keeping his digestive tract stable, any little bit of absorption his intestines can handle is a plus). Getting him eating again will be gradual. It will take a lot of time before his digestive tract is back in order.

He seems to be a fighter that will help.

Clovers_Clan · #67 10/11/12, 08:18 AM

Kayann-

I know you have him on antibiotics already. The heavy breathing sounds like pneumonia. We're pulling for you.

CaliannG · #68 10/11/12, 09:19 AM

Got on this thread first thing after milking and morning feed. So glad Stilts made it through the night! So glad his temp is up!

I agree 100% with Clovers_Clan on syringing him with with a crushed multivitamin and yogurt. Dilute the yogurt a bit with water so that it goes down easy.

Some info: DE and other natural remedies are good for *maintenance*. DE has a lot of good stuff in it, but right now his digestive tract isn't up to extracting the good stuff and using it. Stilts is in an extreme situation, and needs extreme measures, which is why he is getting turned into a pin cushion with injections, and is having stuff syringed down him.

It is comparable to taking garlic and cayenne to maintain healthy heart function. They are great for helping to build and keep your heart strong, but if you are in the middle of cardiac arrest, you don't go to your kitchen and consume a whole bottle each of powdered garlic and cayenne; you go to the hospital and get pumped with drugs and have a team standing by with a defibrillator. You stay there a few days while they get you stable, give you more drugs and stuff, and monitor you until they are fairly sure that if you go home, you aren't going to go into cardiac arrest again.

When you get home, THEN you down bottles of garlic and cayenne.

Stilts is still in the "hospital". He will likely be there for a few more days, and the poor baby is getting used to being a pin cushion as we try to save him. Which reminds me, have ya'll gotten to call the vet yet about the Baycox and Mineral Max?

Keep the DE in mind, as well as other natural remedies and things you come across. You may wish to include them in your management practices later on. For right now, though, Stilts needs the big guns.

nod4eight · #69 10/11/12, 09:36 AM

Sad news. Stilts lost his battle this morning. (and yes, I'm sure this time) Thanks to everyone who helped and sent prayers and good wishes, and Caliann especially for her dedication and standing by my side.

I have a soft spot for poor, mistreated and unwanted critters - that's why I took on these little guys from the sale barn after we had agreed to only bring in quality animals to our herd. When not one person in the auction house would even bid a single dollar for Stilts I bid. I believe that every life has purpose or value - not money based value, and even though I raise critters destined to be butchered - everything deserves to be raised and treated with care and respect. Stilt's purpose was to teach me some of the poor management practices I have been doing with my goats (and he made me smile a few times too.) That's quite a bit of value that I got for my $1 investment that no one else wanted. RIP little buddy.

Clovers_Clan · #70 10/11/12, 10:19 AM

Kudos to you for giving him a fighting chance.

Life is never about the destination, its the journey.

Squeaky McMurdo · #71 10/11/12, 10:26 AM

Sorry for your loss

CaliannG · #72 10/11/12, 10:32 AM

Oh, I am so sorry!

I had such high hopes he would make it!

RIP little Stilts!

DaniR1968 · #73 10/11/12, 12:50 PM

I"m so sorry. We know you did everything you could for him.

Minelson · #74 10/11/12, 01:22 PM

I'm so sorry for your loss. Rest in peace Stilts

Strange Bear · #75 10/11/12, 03:47 PM

Good for you for trying at least. Poor baby.

BethW · #76 10/11/12, 06:23 PM

Oh, I'm so sorry.

At least for the last part of his life Stilts knew compassion and a caring family. That counts for something. Actually, it counts for a lot~

Donna1982 · #77 10/11/12, 06:26 PM

Aww I'm sorry. I was pulling for him, and rest assure you did everything you could of.

ani's ark · #78 10/11/12, 07:04 PM

It's great there are people like you and our online friends to take these animals on. But what to do with the people who let their animals get to this stage, so the animals and the ones who try to save them suffer heartbreak? It is so unnecessary and cruel. I hope karma gets them. Dont mean to sound bitter and angry, but it burns my britches.

In the States are you able to follow up via the sale barn as to how these goats got in this state and get their owner cautioned?

CaliannG · #79 10/11/12, 09:17 PM

It's rather difficult, Ani. If your neighbors are neglecting their animals, you can call and report animal abuse.

Not so much with the sale barn. I don't know why, as I have seen some pretty rough animals go through there, especially during the drought, but if a sick, lame, or emaciated critter goes through the sale barn, no one says a word.

I guess they figure that everything is just going to the slaughter house anyway. The only animals that might be bought for breeding stock at the sale barn are cattle.

GoldenWood Farm · #80 10/12/12, 04:50 PM

Oh no I am so sorry

. I have been sick with the stomach flu and I just was able to get on and see how he was doing. Thank you for giving him a fighting chance at life though. I am so glad he was able to be in a home where he was loved and cared for until the very end.

Gosh now I am tearing up

. Rest in peace Stilts

.

Justine