Sick goat!

dragonfly65 · #1 12/03/05, 05:08 PM

We have 4 pygoras - 3 does and one wether. The 11 month old wether has gone off his feed. He wouldn't eat this morning ( and he loves hid food). He is also listless and probably not drinking. One side of his abdomen looks larger than the other and the subordinate goats are starting to push him around (he is the queen's son and up at the top of the totem pole normally.) His mother is still defending him from the others. They aren't rough or mean, just an occasional brush off with their heads, but it's still not normal.

They are fed Showgoat pellets and good hay and have an acre of pasture to graze. He was fine yesterday. Any advice is appreciated.

Thanks,

Therese

Sher · #2 12/03/05, 05:31 PM

Hope someone sees this soon. I can only tell you what I think and would do until someone else gets here that is better at it than me.

It sounds like he has bloat. Wethers are touchy. I two six year old wethers that have NEVER been grained. Only my girls..and only for certain reasons.

If it were me..and I had to do something, I would take him out of the pen and put him somewhere by himself. I would give him a big ole slug of olive oil for the bloat. This worked on my little buck within an hour.

Set some hay mix in front of him and some water. A good taste of baking soda wouldn't hurt either.

Good luck...hope someone else can help out you out soon! Said a prayer for you and him both.

moonspinner · #3 12/03/05, 05:40 PM

Did he get any more food than usual? How much is he getting? I don't feed wethers grain - can contribute to all sorts of problems like UC. This could be bloat from what you describe. Probios would be a good idea and some Vit B for his rumen. Hopefully he'll just be off for a day or two. I would seriously think about cutting down the feed and eventually getting him off it. Even my bucks aren't grained and they do fine.

Teacupliz · #4 12/03/05, 06:21 PM

With the weather change here in Ny one of my buck just went threw this. 3 days on Fortified b-complex SQ he still was off. So I added PenG and by the next day here was feeling better. I did 3 days of PenG and the B- he is as good as new. It also would not hurt to drench with baking Soda water about 1/4 cup BC in water. If my bucks are off I also like to give Amonia Chloride drench also.. Just to be sure to treat for stones. Offer lots of hay and water.. You can drench water also.. and yogurt can not hurt. Does he have a fever? Is he chewing his cud.. Watch to see if he is peeing. all good things to know.
Liz

Misty · #5 12/03/05, 06:35 PM

just in case....give him cd antitoxin. 5cc. He could have been butted and have an internal injury, or it could be something else.

Jen H · #6 12/03/05, 11:03 PM

It sure does sound like bloat. Is he cudding at all? Can you hear any gut sounds when you get your head up next to him? A slug of oil (any kind of vegetable oil or mineral oil will work) and a deep belly massage will work for bloat.

The other concern with wethers getting any kind of grain is Urinary Calculi. Have you seen him pee in the last day?

Misty · #7 12/04/05, 07:36 AM

I always forget about that....that is sure another thought.

dragonfly65 · #8 12/04/05, 02:21 PM

He seemed in better spirirts today although his left side is still larger than the right it does not seem as tight as it was yesterday. We gave him olive oil last night and again this morning. I had to take the needles off a couple of syringes and, as my daughter held his body in a corner and my son held his head I pried his mouth open and emptied the syringe as far back as I could get it. Then my daughter massaged his sides. (All this before church this morning). Got some molasses at the store to put baking soda in. Maybe he'll actually take it that way.

I really appreciate all ya'lls help. We got the older does last November and they had their babies in January. We've never had any medical problems until now. If it was poultry I'd know what to do, but these goats are totally new to me. (We never had goats where I grew up in the midwest). But i'm really hooked on the critters now!

Jen H · #9 12/04/05, 04:48 PM

Sounds like you're on top of the problem. The other thing I'd do is cut him back to just hay and water till his gut gets sorted out, sort of like sticking with rice and chicken broth when your stomach's feeling iffy.

debitaber · #10 12/04/05, 05:16 PM

I would say it is the bloat, get some baking soda, and take a half a cup of that, now add just enough water, to make a dough ball, put in the back of his throat, and hold his mouth shut, until he swollows it, now, repeat evry hoiur, and walk him. all over the place.
tomorrow, get some theribloat, from the vet, or farm store, and gfive to him. I wouldn't give him a drop of grain from now on, and give grass hay, or hore hay, he doesn't need alfalfh or pellets. just hay, and plenty of water,. adn give him, about 15cc's of vit.b complex, don't worry, you can't over does on that, what they don't use, they pee away.
now walk him a lot, and then work his sides, rubbing him. bloat, can kill, if you don't take care of it.
I give mine gator aid, once in a while, if it is really cold. but not now, just water, and hay, and plenty of baking soda, and walk.
I had one I walked for a couple of hours, once they start getting rid of the gas, they will feel much better, and be ok.
hope this helps and good luck.

Goat Freak · #11 12/04/05, 05:59 PM

I will pray that he gets better, and that it IS boat, and not UC, we lost a goat to that and it was horrible. Good luck, bye.

dragonfly65 · #12 12/05/05, 02:38 PM

Thought I'd let ya'll know that "little" Remy is back to his old self causing havoc wherever he goes and trying to eat everything in sight. His sides are back to normal and my daughter said when she was massaging his sides this morning that he "farted" on her. I fear it may take a while for him to regain his place in the herd though. Today he and his mama are in the goat house/pen by themselves with fresh hay and lots of fresh water while the other 2 are in the pasture. (We tried Remy by himself and the bleating and jumping on the door drove us mad so we made mama go in too. Serves her right for spoiling him so much.) I guess we're just going to have to MAKE him take his baking soda from now on. Again, thanks for all your advice and prayers (we said more than a few ourselves).