Severely anemic goat - vet visit

Nancy_in_GA · #21 11/11/12, 06:44 PM

Not good news today. The morning started OK. I got some privet and he gobbled that up, I'd say about 1 cubic foot of small branches, and I was starting to get hopeful until I checked his eyelids. They were back to snow white. Got him up for one short walk, but today was different. Barely enough energy to move.

And...the rest of the day he only ate 1/2 of one banana and three bites of bermuda hay. Would not touch anything else on the list. There is definitely some kind of internal pain going on. Grinding teeth. I think now I should have tried an oral antibiotic. The last thing this evening he started making a noise like snoring, and breathing looked too heavy. His temp was 102.7. Maybe if you get pneumonia combined with shutting down it averages out to normal.

Anyway I don't think he is strong enough of fight off anything more. He is running on fumes. I gave Banamine and left him. Don't expect him to be conscious in the morning.

He is definitely going for a necropsy. I guess that will negate the need for the Johne's test, unless they screw up the exam.

southerngurl · #22 11/11/12, 06:55 PM

Ok simplify for me. Exactly when was he wormed and what with? When you have a severe infestation, you have to worm 3 times 10 days apart. IIRC when barberpole get to a certain population, new ones coming in will encyst to kind of hibernate until conditions are better. When you worm and kill off the active population, these will come out and get to work.

Fecals are not accurate this time of year, because worms don't lay much in winter- the outside world is not suitable for their young to survive.

For building blood back I would recommend fir meadow's GI Soother.

Minelson · #23 11/11/12, 08:35 PM

His symptoms are so much like Gretta. Not saying he has Johnes but maybe something similar. Gretta was on Tetracycline for 2 weeks orally because I refused to inject her with painful (stinging) antibiotics anymore. 500mg twice a day. for 2 weeks
5-10cc's Dyne bid
5-10 grams Probios bid
2-1/4 cc Thiamine bid
Lots of very high quality, rich alfalfa hay
That is the basic of what I gave her and then started the Dex (2 injections) and then moved to oral Prednisone. 20 mg bid
This got her stable. I have given her other things like Prunes, raisins, oats, Animal crackers, Saltines, Mash, soup. she would take a few bites and then do the "wipe the mouth on the first hard surface she could find" and move off. She is not doing that anymore.
I am NOT saying Squirt has Johnes...But maybe some this regimen will help. Ireally feel for you and what you are going through. It's SO frustrating. ((((hugs))))

Nancy_in_GA · #24 11/11/12, 09:05 PM

Minelson, maybe the tongue flailing just means real hunger. I remember when we had Dixie put under general anesthetic, we had to fast her for 8 hours before, and couldn't let her eat for several hours after she woke up. She did the same tongue flailing thing. No nose rubbing, though. Could it be a sensation of "pins and needles," maybe, like humans get with B-12 deficiency?

I would love to have been able to try Prednisone and Dex, or just about anything for that matter, but I think this vet made up her mind if it wasn't worms, it was hopeless. I just hope I can convince the people who do the necropsy to tell me more than "he died of severe anemia."

Cannon_Farms · #25 11/11/12, 09:23 PM

can you take him to uga? If your vet tries to charge you I'll see if I can get my vet to call in a drop off, most vets will charge for the extra paperwork the downside is he'll have to be 'my' goat. I had dex and I have pred. In pill form plus handle if you need it bad enough to come here its yours.

will he eat spinach ans kale?

Donna1982 · #26 11/11/12, 09:59 PM

I have mo advice just wanted you to know you two are in my prayers. ((((Hugs))))

Minelson · #27 11/12/12, 09:11 AM

How is Squirt this morning?

Nancy_in_GA · #28 11/12/12, 09:52 AM

What a fighter to the end. Still sitting with head up this morning, but moaning and screaming in pain, the vet came out on an emergency call before hours and put him down. She wanted to do a necropsy too. I just got back from delivering him to the vet school. The worrying is over.

Now I'm thinking an internal injury, like a ruptured spleen, maybe. That's the last thinking I'm going to do for the day. Need a vodka and grapefruit juice.

Thanks everyone for your support.

Minelson · #29 11/12/12, 10:09 AM

I'm so sorry Nancy. It's not too early for the vodka on a day like this

((((hugs))))

where I want to · #30 11/12/12, 10:38 AM

I'm so sorry that you have to have this hole in your life. I hope that the information from the necropsy brings you some peace.

kittyjo · #31 11/12/12, 10:46 AM

have been following your thread and I am very sorry for your loss sometimes no matter what we do nothing helps have lost goats that way before but at least you can say
"I tried"

CaliannG · #32 11/12/12, 11:26 AM

{{{HUGS}}} I am so sorry, Nancy!

Sherry in Iowa · #33 11/12/12, 03:24 PM

I'm so sorry for your loss Nancy. It's darned heart shredding to see your friend in that kind of pain. It sure makes a person feel helpless.

I'm sure he was relieved that the vet got there. You did all you could and that's all you can do.

Nancy_in_GA · #34 11/12/12, 07:08 PM

This one is really hard, guys. All the confusion and rushing around this morning kept me from thinking about it, but now the reality is setting in. This is the third time I've started crying tonight.

Squirt was special. He was my baby. We nursed him through a terrible episode of shipping fever when we first got him as a baby, almost lost him, but he was a fighter even then. And I just couldn't fix it this time. I just feel like I failed him. I should have caught it sooner. And maybe I should have put him down earlier. I don't know how much pain he was in until the last hour.

He was such a sweet, quiet, good-natured fellow, and I think he would have been happier and better off at another farm where there were fewer goats and he wasn't the bottom of the pecking order. I just want to tell him I'm sorry.

Thanks for letting me say this out loud to someone who understands.

Mainelyhappy · #35 11/12/12, 07:18 PM

Please know that you are in my thoughts. I am so sorry for your loss.
Daryl in Maine

Minelson · #36 11/12/12, 07:43 PM

I just lost everything I wrote because I couldn't spell psyche. We had a "family talk" tonight and hubby is concerned about my level of "stress". He says he undertands sadness but feels I'm too stressed and that maybe we have too much. He is afraid I will go into a panic attack or anxiety that could be crippling. I told him to read the "just a goat" again. He gets that. I told him if we lived back in the city there would be stress but just different. IDK....this is hard....but life is hard

Sherry in Iowa · #37 11/12/12, 07:56 PM

He was such a sweet, quiet, good-natured fellow

Nancy, I have the feeling that he got a lot of that from you. I hope you feel better for venting..but honestly, I bet if Squirt could have chosen where he could live..he would have chosen to live with YOU. I think when we lose one of our precious gifts, we always look to ourselves and think we coulda/shoulda done more or different. That you tried, you loved and you have much heartache is all that you can do.

I know it hurts now. I pray that this moves on to you remembering Squirt with many smiles on your face, replacing the tears that are there now.

Blessings~

KrisD · #38 11/12/12, 07:59 PM

I'm so sorry Nancy! I hope they find some answers that give you some piece of mind. My prayers are with you.

Min my husband says that to me all the time. He says I would be less stressed with less animals. Um no. I love animals and they make me happy. The good out weighs the bad. Sometimes we loose someone special to us and my heart breaks but I wouldn't be happier if I never had them. When we had to put my 14yr old Rottweiler down (she had cancer twice) I bawled so hard and begged the vet to let me die with her. She was like my child. Since she was put down at my parents house I was so sad that I couldn't go in their house for almost a year because I would burst into tears. My husband doesn't understand this. 8 yrs later thinking about her still makes we well up. The animals are my kids and I love them with everything I have. I so understand.

Nancy_in_GA · #39 11/12/12, 08:45 PM

We have had, over the last 8 years, never fewer than 9 goats on the farm. That probably doesn't seem like many to most of you, but I always felt that even 9 is too many to allow you to give the individual attention to the really sweet natured ones, like Squirt. I wish I had spent more time with him now. That upsets me a lot too. I guess I'm equating goats with dogs and cats, and realize goats prefer large groups.

And for some reason I tend to remember every mistake I ever made when it comes to animals, particulalry when it comes to how they finally died. I wish I could change that. Maybe I need some kind of psychological counseling.

Minelson · #40 11/12/12, 09:42 PM

Oh Nancy! (((hugs!!!))) I think those feelings have to be very expected! Geeez I hope so....we can sit side by side on the counselors couch.