Baby goat's legs twitching?

[Jillis]

As most of you know, my ND doe gave me three gorgeous doelings on March 2. I have been marvelling over their health and growth as they are being dam-raised.

But a few days ago, I noticed something that is bigging me. Silver, the smallest of the three, has been "twitching" her legs. Her leg seems to give a very quick little shudder in the muscles under the skin and then quickly jerks up and to the side. Not all the time, but a lot. Not just one leg either---mostly I observe this in the back legs, but then the front leg has done it too. I checked her hooves, and felt her all over. Everything else seems perfectly healthy and normal. But it looks weird.
She IS the most "hyper" of all three---she regularly ricochets around the barn literally bouncing off the walls at least three feet up off the ground. She is very fast! The hardest one to catch...I dunno...has anyone every seen anything like this before?

[Terry W]

I experience this type of reaction in my own body---when it happens, my Medical Alert dog has usually warned me that my hypersensitivity issues ( light, noise, certain odors) are in full swing.

Try dosing her with some Rescue Remedy for a few days and see if that helps calm her down. If it does-- you may just have a sensitive animal on your hands.

[witchysharon]

Is it possible she has lice?

[mygoat]

All my goats except for the oldest doe does this. It only occurs here in the summer, and no lice, no mites, no nothing. Mine will stop doing whatever they are doing, stare off, and then start twitching, stomping thier feet and the like. If it's real bad they jump all over the place. I had a wether a while ago and he would do the same thing. I don't know what to tell you, as it doesn't seem to hurt them though it seems to bother them and us.... But once they concentrate on something else such as when I take them for a walk, they don't do it anymore.

[mamahen]

My pygmy does this off & on since I've had her. She started doing this really bad right after she delivered last spring. It was so bad, she couldn't hold still for the kids to nurse. She was diagnosed with laminitis, (for lack of a better diagnosis), and either the treatment helped, or she got over it.

NOW her & her 2 kids from last year both twitch. Almost like a bug is buzzing around. But I've never seen one when they do it. The new kid from Nov. doesn't do this, neither does the buck. Go figuure?

[Blue Oak Ranch]

This is usually a magnesium deficiency - in cows, it's often called grass tetany and occurs most often on lush spring and summer pasture, because grasses often don't have enough magnesium. Its symptoms are twitchy muscles and spazzy behavior.

Dose the kids with 10ml MFO or CMPK, orally, ~30ml for adults, once daily until the symptoms are gone. It costs about $4 for a big ole bottle from the feed store, your vet, or any of the online suppliers like Jeffer's Livestock.

Make sure your goats have access to a good loose mineral mix for cattle or goats, not sheep.

Cheers!

Katherine

Blue Oak Ranch

[mygoat]

see, mine do have access to a good mineral now, and they still do it. This is the first year with the purina goat mineral so maybe it will go away with time, but for now they are still twitching.

[Blue Oak Ranch]

A good mineral mix is insurance, not a panacea....if you see symptoms of a deficiency, treat it with the MFO or CMPK. Since forages and feeds vary from place to place, a single generic mineral formula can't possibly cover all specific cases.

Magnesium deficiency is also called lactation tetany - they have different needs for magnesium at different stages of development and kidding - which is why it's often worse as they start lactation.

I like the Sweetlix Meat Maker mix - but I have one goat that won't go for it like the others. She drives me nuts - and I have to supplement her individually. Simply having it out there isn't enough.

MFO is simple to use, it's cheap - why not use it if your goats need it?

Cheers!

Katherine

Blue Oak Ranch

[Jillis]

Thank you so much, everyone! I do have both Sweetlix and Kelp in the baby pen with the babies and the mama.

What is MFO and CMPK? There is still so much I don't know! I will get it tomorrow and administer it right away.

There are definitely no lice...or other bugs that I can see. I truly looks like something wrong with the muscles or nervous system.

She doesn't stare off into space, so I don't believe it is a fit of any kind. It just sort of happens as whe is going about her ADL.

Thanks again!

[goatkid]

CMPK and MFO are mineral supplements containing the balance of calcium, magnesium and phosphorus goats need. Use the oral drench. The paste will burn the goat's mouth. If you can't find any locally, there is a woman, Sharon Miller on the dairygoats plus forum who runs a supply business and carries it.

[Jillis]

Thank you! I can get it at the local Agway!