goat problem

goatgirl1392 · #1 01/23/07, 05:59 PM

my doe is due in about two weeks and is having some health problems. she has a hard time eating and standing up. she is very skinny as well. she eats all the time and drinks lots of water. i have been giving her nutri-drench, molassas water, and probios every 1-2 hours daily. she doesn't seem to be getting any better. oh, i have also given her a shot of vitamin B. i talked to a friend and she said that the babies may be sitting on a nerve causing her to not get up. my friend had a doe who did this as well. and she also said that the babies may be pushing up on the stomach funny causing something like acid relfex... which would sound correct because her hay sits in the back of her throat. anyway, i was just wondering if any of you had some suggestions on what i might do with her, or what it may be. she hasn't gotten any worse, but doesn't seem to be showing much improvement. thanks!

DocM · #2 01/23/07, 06:16 PM

Is she aspirating cud out of her nose, or coughing a lot? I had a doe a couple of years ago that did this, the babies (triplets) were pushing on her gut. It was touch and go, but she delivered and the problem corrected itself. I ended up propping her up with hay bales the last week, to keep her upright. When she started laboring, we actually held her up. I think you may need to have the vet examine her to make sure she hasn't injured herself.

goatgirl1392 · #3 01/23/07, 06:21 PM

she has nothing coming out of her nose, and she is not chewing her cud. i don't think she has injured herself, at least not that i have seen. she has been in a pen the last few days, and it leads out to a small area for her to walk around in, i don't know where she could have hurt herself.

susanne · #4 01/23/07, 06:22 PM

hi goatgirl and welcome.

i'm a little bit concerned with your doe because you say she is skinny?
have you had her wormed bevore you bred her?
if this would be my doe i would do a fecal check or let the vet do it for you.
is she still pooping little berries?
it is good that she is still eating good. do you have exact due date?

susanne · #5 01/23/07, 06:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by goatgirl1392

she has nothing coming out of her nose, and she is not chewing her cud. i don't think she has injured herself, at least not that i have seen. she has been in a pen the last few days, and it leads out to a small area for her to walk around in, i don't know where she could have hurt herself.

i thought she is eating all the time? not chewing her cud is a serious problem.

goatgirl1392 · #6 01/23/07, 07:01 PM

she has been de-wormed regularly, and i just did it two days ago. her poop is not in pellets and i can give her some scour halt for that. most of the time when my does are sick they won't chew their cud, and when they do i know they are better, so i am not worried about the cud. i have her on free feed and she still isn't gaining much weight. what is a fecal check?

goatgirl1392 · #7 01/23/07, 07:03 PM

she is due on the 3rd of Feb.

susanne · #8 01/23/07, 10:16 PM

what kind of wormer do you use?
fecal check is if you put some goat berries in salt solution and than under the microscope to see what kind of parrasite eggs there are.
sometimes the wormer we are using is not effective anymore. this is why it is so important to have a control check.
where are you located? can you find a goat breeder near you and ask how they practice parasite control?

mammawof3 · #9 01/24/07, 06:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by goatgirl1392

she has been de-wormed regularly, and i just did it two days ago. her poop is not in pellets and i can give her some scour halt for that. most of the time when my does are sick they won't chew their cud, and when they do i know they are better, so i am not worried about the cud. i have her on free feed and she still isn't gaining much weight. what is a fecal check?

I would be worried about her not cudding-and-her not having pelleted poop. Her digestion is messed up-i hope the "free feed" you have her on is hay and not grain.Does she have access to baking soda? Is this all a "recent" development? Problems w/eating ect. should be a concern this close too kidding-the kids are growing rapidly now and pulling alot out of her. It could be the kids pushing on a nerve,or it could be so much being pulled out of her system (not cudding-not digesting)that she is getting weak. Are her gums and eyelids a healthy pink color? What wormer did you use? Is she up to date on her CD&T shot? Does she show any signs of being CAE positive (swollen knee joints-hard udder at freshening)-a CAE positive doe CAN go down hill as a result of being heavy w/kids.(Not saying that is what it is-just something to think about) Hope she improves for you-i would probably go ahead and give her C&D antitoxin-because of the not cudding-help to ward of entro.

**mygoat** · #10 01/24/07, 06:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by goatgirl1392

she is due on the 3rd of Feb.

She's due on my birthday!

I'd also say to get a vet out to look at her.

goatgirl1392 · #11 01/24/07, 06:39 AM

well, i have a friend who lives just down the street and she raises meat goats, and i go to her with all my questions. she suggested that since my goat can't swallow hay, the only thing that i should give her is grain. if she can only take in a little at a time, then we want to have her take in what has the best stuff for her. she doesn't even eat two whole scoops of a grain a day, so with that one i wasn't worried, and also because she has baking soda available to her. i am using cydectin to de-worm her and yes her gums and eyes look fine, i am constantly checking them. the last CDT shot we gave her was in august. we first thought that she might have ketosis, but the only sign she was showing was not getting up. her legs weren't swollen and she was eating, drinking, and pooping and peaing all the time. i live in GA as well. i haven't gone out this morning to check on her, but once i do i will fill you in on the details. thanks for replying!

susanne · #12 01/24/07, 07:57 AM

i'm sorry to say this but you are killing your goat. i doubt she will live so long that she will have her babies. much better choice would have ben to give her alfalfa pellets. goats don't do good on grain free choice.
what is the reason she can not swallow? do you have a vet.?
the reason she has diarhea is because of too much grain. i think it is too late to change that now

southerngurl · #13 01/24/07, 10:09 AM

Oh my yes, you can't just feed grain. I would start with like halfing the grain with alfalfa pellets. The next day 3/4 alfalfa pellets and 1/4 grain and back off the grain like that. Then just leave alfalfa out all the time and just give grain once or twice a day. But I would think you wouldn't want to change it too drastically.

goatgirl1392 · #14 01/24/07, 10:50 AM

i just talked to my vet and he said that everything i was doing was perfect, and there isn't anything i should change or more i can do. i forgot to mention that she was poisned, or maybe i did say that, i can't remeber. he said that since she is not eating very much i should just give her grain. let me tell ya, she is hardly eating anything, so i doubt the grain is a problem. he also said to give her grain or alfalfa cubes (which i don't have). he said that it wouldn't hurt to give her scour halt, but she doesn't really need it. the poop is not runny, it is just soft and clumped together. he said that if she was poisened we should see improvment over the next couple of days, but if she doesn't improve then we will have to put her down. if she does hold out for another week, then we will take out the babies. the vet said that what i am doing is right and i shouldn't change it. what is upsetting is that she doesn't seem to be making improvment and i can't do anything more for her and neither can my vet. so i will up date you when i come back from checking on her. thanks!

fishhead · #15 01/24/07, 11:01 AM

What was she poisoned with? Did you give her activated charcoal to absorb the poison?

DocM · #16 01/24/07, 11:06 AM

If you won't give her alfalfa cubes, then put her on a complete feed, like for horses, that has roughage in it. She isn't chewing cud because she isn't making any. She needs roughage found in hay or grass to do that. If she can't chew hay, she probably has a problem with her teeth, which means she's probably not chewing the grain very well either. Two scoops of grain is about 4X what any of my pregnant does (fat) are getting. You can chop her hay up for her, with scissors, but this goat needs some roughage, today, regardless of what you've been told. Grain only will make her scour. Her gut is completely compromised. Can you go out and cut some grass for her?

delphinium · #17 01/24/07, 12:00 PM

I would go with alfalfa pellets, not cubes. The cubes could choke her if she is having difficulty swallowing.
Good luck, I hope everything turns out well.

goatgirl1392 · #18 01/24/07, 12:12 PM

yeah, i just called the feed store and we are going to pick up some alfalfa pellets for her. she was poisoned by an azalea bush. my scoops are about 3 cups of grain, and she isn't even eating all of that. she won't eat today, i tried giving it to her but she wouldn't take it. her legs are really weak; two of us had to pick her up and she could only stand for a few minutes and then she laid back down. right now the vet said just to continue with the nutri-drench, molasses water, probios, and baking soda water and just wait. which is very difficult to do. i am not expecting her babies to live, just because of how much she is going through. but if my doe does die and i watch her, i want to know if i could cut open her stomach and get the babies out... i don't know. anyway, i will continue to keep you posted.

goatgirl1392 · #19 01/24/07, 12:13 PM

oh and i did give her ToxiBan for the poison

ozark_jewels · #20 01/24/07, 12:24 PM

I know people have already said this but please, please, please stop feeding her grain. The last thing a sick goat needs is grain. It will make her worse. Your vet is mistaken to tell you to feed her grain. Even a diet of straight water for a few days would be better than heavy grains on her stomach while she is down. Especially if her system has been compromised by a poison. If she can't chew and swallow hay or pellets you may need to tube her with some nutrients.
I hope she will eat the alfalfa pellets when you get them. Let us know how she does.