sick goat-need help

lscheopner · #1 01/31/07, 10:25 AM

One of our pregnant does went down last night. Her legs are stiff and she just lays there breathing heavy. Is this Polio? The vet thinks it is Ketosis but doesn't sound like it from what I have read. I am running to the vet to get the meds I need but he is out of town.
We just changed their hay and they have only had it for about a week. With the hay shortage we had to buy grass/alfalfa mix this time. It is very green and nice looking hay. She is due to kid in March. If you need more info let me know.

Laina

goatlover270 · #2 01/31/07, 11:19 AM

I wouldn't think that the change of hay would do it. I am assuming you know what signs to look for on polio and Ketosis and how to treat, if it is either of the two...
I am sorry to hear of your bad news, it is so upsettin' when one of our animals get sick or we loose one. I hope it gets better fast, but let us know some more symtoms and what is going on with her, now??

susanne · #3 01/31/07, 11:36 AM

you can give her 5 cc fortefeid vit b complex. if this is polio (thiamine deficiency because of rumen imbalance caused by feed change) you will see improvement very soon.
what else do you feed her? what temp does she has?

lscheopner · #4 01/31/07, 12:41 PM

Cannot read a glass thermometer and do not have a digital. Could I use a regular people digital because we are in the middle of no where and livestock stuff is hard to find? Gave her 5cc of Thiamine, 10cc of b-complex, 30 cc of calcium and nutridrench as per vet orders. He is out of town so he cannot look at her. She is still laying on her side with legs straight out and stiff. I looked at breeding records and she is due the end of March. They are only getting free choice hay at the moment. None of the other 16 goats I have are having problems. How soon will you see an improvement?

Laina

Vicki McGaugh TX Nubians · #5 01/31/07, 12:55 PM

Read the info on hypocalcemia at dairygoatinfo.com in the goatkeeping101 section. Vets call any pregnancy disease ketosis, but I am shocked he told you to use calcium.

A doe who is due in March is starting to agressively grow her kids, with too many kids for the quality of the new hay, she starts using her own stores of calcium, phos, magnesium etc., defficency shows up as hypocalcemia especially if your minerals are not enough to support other defficencies you have in your area that do not let her absorb normally her calcium etc.. The bone formation alone, plus building her udder stores of calicum, are a huge drain. This one doe is only showing you what is happening herdwide, unless she isthe only one who will kid with a bigger milk supply, or more kids. Quad does can't do it on hay and minerals, not without huge depletions in their own body, the kids will be small, or one will be unsaveable, or she simply won't have the milk. Other mediocre milkers or does with singles and twins can live off the diet.

Having the right tools on hands are no further than jefferslivestock.com and yes you can use your digitial thermometer in the mean time. A low temp although it may mean hypocalcemia, may also after this point of time, may mean impending death due to being down.

You have to catch stuff like this early to save the does and her kids, you have to treat thoroughly and aggressively. Warm the meds before you put them in her, you will chill her if 30cc of calicum is cold. Injectable calcium on it's own may not be enough you do need the CMPK it is sold as an injectable, also and oral preperation also, your vet should have the injectable. Nutra Drench is nothing more the propolyn glycol that you can for the price of the pint, but a gallon of PG from the vet, throw the small handful of minerals in it yourself from your loose minerals if you want to have minerals and vitamins with it.

The problem is that there are a list of things that can cause the neurological problems your doe is having, polio, tetanus, listerosis from mold in the new hay etc.. so we are all of course guessing that you are dealing with the pregnancy part of this disease process because she is bred. Vicki

lscheopner · #6 01/31/07, 01:41 PM

Sorry, I miss spoke, the vet said calcium but it is the CMPK injectable. She is a mini nubian so he said to only give 30cc. She is not doing any better and don't think she will make it. Not sure what else to do. Should I start all the girls on grain? A friend that has raised meat goats for 20 years said not to start them on grain until after babies were born. I also have alfalfa pellets. We had goats a long time ago and never had any problems and gave them half the care we give these guys. Very confused on what we are doing wrong.

Laina

lscheopner · #7 01/31/07, 02:12 PM

Never mind, she died 15 minutes ago. I will post somewhere else about the feed questions. Thanks

Laina

goatlover270 · #8 01/31/07, 02:16 PM

I am so sorry to hear that. It makes me sad to hear.
I was just in the middle of messaging to see how things are going and throwing some ideas out there. Maybe there are some things we can do to help you, so this is preventable for any others you may have??
My condolences to you.
God Bless

goatlover270 · #9 01/31/07, 02:22 PM

About the feed, the alfalfa is the best if you have pregnant goats. If you start out with no more than a handful of grain around 3 months preg. then work your way up slowly over the next 2 months to a no more than 2 - 3 cups a day by the 5th month making sure they get plenty of roughage.
Making sure that you have plenty of minerals for her etc... Grazing as much hay as she wants.

Blossomgapfarm · #10 01/31/07, 02:23 PM

I am so sorry you lost her.
Dawn

lscheopner · #11 01/31/07, 02:30 PM

We still have a couple bales of the alfalfa hay but because of the snow we can't get to them. We will get the tractor out there this weekend and dig them out. We just bought the other hay. I will give them all alfalfa pellets till then. We have had 2 other singles born already and no problems with them. I thought both ketosis and polio you would see symptoms not just up one minute and down the next. I will watch the other goats very close to make sure this doesn't happen again. Thanks

Laina

goatlover270 · #12 01/31/07, 02:49 PM

yea with ketosis...that is where the animals thriving on its own reserve because it doesn't eat...I thought she "was" eating so that is what made me think she didn't have that. If she did then nutridrench is best and then continue for 2 days on half dosage and the calcium replacement is important. CMPK... when you start that you want to continue til the nanny kids. u can prevent hypocalcemia by starting the nanny off on grain at 3 mons pregnant and alfalfa/grass hay, "slowly" gradually building up to only alfalfa hay along til 5 months where then she gets about 1 to 3 cups of grain an day and alfalfa hay at kidding. Alfalfa pellets are good in with that grain slowly adding them if they haven't been having them, any changes are done best gradually, instead of all at once. Plain yogurt is good for their rumen (a cup).
I am again sorry to hear about your goat, but am curious to know what was wrong?
I hope she didn't get ankylose from being in one position and that is why she couldn't move??

xoxoGOATSxoxo · #13 01/31/07, 03:27 PM

so sorry you lost her.

I'm no vet, and don't have a very extensive knowledge on goats diseases, but has anybody thought of tetanus? But you probably vaccinated her, right?

moosemaniac · #14 01/31/07, 03:43 PM

So sorry.

Ruth

Sweet Goats · #15 01/31/07, 04:10 PM

Oh I am so sorry for your loss.

Hugs from Colorado. I wish I could tell you something to make you feel better. God Bless you.

lscheopner · #16 02/01/07, 02:21 AM

Thanks for all the support. Everyone else is doing fine and gave a little feed tonight. We will be watching everyone very close to make sure we catch it sooner this time. Thanks again.

Laina