Here we go again - buck with POLIO!!!!

Milk n' Honey · #1 09/27/06, 10:53 PM

My vet tells me that everyone she knows has had to go through this craziness their first year. Well, that should make me feel a lot better. However, our buck (you know....the one that should be breeding does right now) is acting retarded and we think he has Polio. I posted a few days ago about him not acting like a buck. Well, maybe he has been coming down with this and that is why??? He had hoof scald and it was traveling up his leg so we were giving him quite a bit of antibiotics. That may have messed up his thiamin production. Well, he was pushing his head against stuff and acting drunk. He also walked in circles like he was on a track. He'd stop to eat a bit and then walk more circles. He'd act half way normal and then would go push against something. I tried to take his temp. but the stupid thermometer died on me right then. Figures!! Anyway, we had the vet come out. She didn't think it was Listeriosis or Polio but was leaning toward the Polio if she had to choose. After seeing all those symptoms later and already knowing what Listeriosis looks like, I think it is Polio. So, we are treating with 10 cc's of Fortified B Complex every 6 hours and she made up 3 shots of Deximethasone for us plus she gave him one intravenously right then. She ordered us to give Pen G orally and SubQ twice a day, We did that once but I've since decided that if it is Polio and I really think it is, the Pen G will make matters worse by continuing to damage the rumen and worsening the Thiamin deficiency problem even more. Today he seemed better but I'm quite worried. He got better and then started to seem worse again. Poor guy. He has had it rough. He went from hoof scald to pinkeye to this. He probably wants to die. I'd be suprised if he isn't retarded for life after this. Have any of you dealt with this Polio and will he be normal if he gets over it? Is there anything else to do for him? Is there anything else it could be that I don't know about?

Patty0315 · #2 09/28/06, 06:43 AM

I would also give him tetnaus anti toxin. I think in another poat you said he needs his CD/T it very well could be tetnaus. Give him anti tox today.

Patty

Patty0315 · #3 09/28/06, 06:45 AM

Continue doing what the Vet said also. Get prio for his belly or even yogurt.

Patty

susanne · #4 09/28/06, 07:42 AM

never ever stop antibiotics in middle of treatments. your vet might be right and if you stop you have bacteria that are resistent to the med the vet gave you. if his case worsen the vet can search for another antibiotica and this is unessecary.

Milk n' Honey · #5 09/28/06, 07:55 AM

The vet was treating for Listeriosis and Polio or any other brain problem b/c she admitted she didn't know what it was. I looked it up and the treatments for each are very different and it sounds like one could interfere with the other. He would be down with Listeriosis by now wouldn't he, since I haven't given any antibiotics since Tuesday? Right now, he's just kind of standing around acting dumb. He doesn't run away from me, even when I poke him with the needle. I'll give the CD/T and will consider the antibiotics but I hate to make him worse if it is Polio. It just about has to be Polio doesn't it?

susanne · #6 09/28/06, 08:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Milk n' Honey

The vet was treating for Listeriosis and Polio or any other brain problem b/c she admitted she didn't know what it was. I looked it up and the treatments for each are very different and it sounds like one could interfere with the other. He would be down with Listeriosis by now wouldn't he, since I haven't given any antibiotics since Tuesday? Right now, he's just kind of standing around acting dumb. He doesn't run away from me, even when I poke him with the needle. I'll give the CD/T and will consider the antibiotics but I hate to make him worse if it is Polio. It just about has to be Polio doesn't it?

no, it does'nt.
if it is polio you should have seen improvement very fast after thiamine treatment. i do understand your post that he is worsening again.

please correct me if i'm wrong

Sher · #7 09/28/06, 08:15 AM

I am curious as to what this buck eats..not what you feed him..but what he actually eats.

goathappy · #8 09/28/06, 10:21 AM

We've had 3 cases of goat polio this year, and that sounds alot like it. First off, How are you giving Thiamin treatment? IV, IM or Sub-Q? It is VERY important to get that first injeciton of Thiamin IV so it can travel through the bloodstream faster. AFter the goats had IV shots, they showed improvements as soon as we got home from the vet. Also, are you feeding any sulfur products? or high sulfur foods? I read an article that said sulfur is one of the main causes of polio, because it takes the thiamin from the rumen, and prevents it from forming again. Good luck with your buck.
Sarah

Patty0315 · #9 09/28/06, 10:21 AM

CD/T will do nothing if he does not have a current tetnaus. He needs anti toxin not toxin.

Brain worm ?

Why bother have the Vet out and paying the money if you do not trust her judgement. We have not seen him , she has. Follow her directions and then you can try other things along with it.

Good luck , Patty

suburbanite · #10 09/28/06, 10:37 AM

I guess goat 'polio' isn't 'polio' (which affects only humans) but a thiamine deficiency? (beriberi in humans)

Do goats get scrapie?

My cat was doing a 'meow and spin' thing recently. He has renal insufficiency and it turned out that he was *itchy* everywhere due to uremia. But this wasn't a 'spaced out' spin, it was an agitated spin.

Liver and renal disease in humans can cause build up of toxic metabolites in the blood and make a person hoopy. Does the same happen in goats? Maybe the brain is a secondary casualty of a problem originating elsewhere?

Milk n' Honey · #11 09/28/06, 12:35 PM

Yeah, I actually thought of a brain tumor or something altogether unavoidable. This buck is on pasture. He was in a stall for a while b/c he was being treated for hoof scald. He was fed grass hay continually and he ate it. He was actually looking great before coming down with this. If he gets grain, it isn't much. Now that he's been out with the does, he has been eating a small amount of grain. I came home a little bit ago and he was laying on the ground with his face looking at the sky. His legs were running. I've seen that in Listeriosis but he doesn't have the paralysis on one side. I went back to continuing the Pen G. I got him on his feet and he was still down on the front helf but on his feet in the back. I turned away to go get the thermometer and when I looked back he was up and walking around. He is currently browsing on pasture in between walking in circles again. I gave the last dose of Dex this morning. I am still giving the Fort. B Vit. every 6 hours. I went ahead and gave his CD/T b/c he needed it and it can't hurt at this point. Oh yeah, the Fort. B shots are sub Q but they are being given every 6 hours so he has a continual supply of thiamin. She gave him some Dex IV when she was here so it would get to him quicker. I do not know how to do that. It didn't look to hard though. I wonder if he'll have brain damage from this, even if he comes out of it.