Star Gazing, Why? Another question

[HaysFarm]

Sorry but i have another question, I havn't been able to find much about this one.
Why would this happen. And could it have long term problems.
The reason i ask is theres a man that wants to trade me a Boer/ nubian and her baby. For our boer doe.
When i asked about health problems he told me that he did have to call the vet out cause she was star gazing. He said vet told him it was cuase she was lacking minerals.
I told him i would have to think about it, and i would get back with him about her. I've read that many things can happen due to lack of diffrent minerals. Has anyone ever had this happen?

[mamajohnson]

Well, I dont know anything about star gazing, but the whole deal sounds odd to me. How would this benefit you? Did his doe have trouble kidding? is she old? I would be very curious.

[Jen H]

I have one goat who just likes to watch birds fly. It's a funny quirk of his. I gather you're talking about something else, tho, and I'd be really careful about the trade.

Maybe have your own vet check her out?

[HaysFarm]

Well , I don't have any other meat goats to say, But i got her a yr ago as a buddy for our little girls goat. He says she is 3 yr old, and had no problem kidding. She does lack good "attachments" on her udder it's down. I belive this would make her a hard milker.
It just made me wounder about the star gazing, and thought i would ask if anyone else had this happen?

[Milk n' Honey]

I wouldn't trade a healthy goat for one that might have any possibility of having a problem. If you are on here asking folks about it, that tells me that you already think something might be "off." I'd go with your gut feeling on this. There is always another goat around the corner, ya know? Good luck!!

[HaysFarm]

yes being careful about this. Funny thing is the vet that he called out is our goat vet. thought about calling him on monday and asking him about it. I belive i mostly want the baby, but to get the baby i get to take the momma as well.
And i've been told that Boer/ nubian cross are good milkers

[HaysFarm]

YA, milk N that what my hubby told me,,lol

[HaysFarm]

Ok so a "no go" on the trade, if i go with my gut feeling about this. But what about the star gazing, does this happen alot? And why would this happen? I've only found one reason and the end of that is death.

[goatkid]

Stargazing is usually caused by something called goat polio. This is a thiamin deficiency and is treated by subQ injections of thiamin. It's usually triggered by a feed change or other stressor in the goat's life. Left untreated, the goat will die. Sometimes this is a one time thing. Other goats get recurrences of polio. I personally would not trade a healthy doe for her. If she has poor udder attachment, you are looking at potential mastitis.You can always find a healthy dairy doe as a companion for your Boer doe if you want milk.

[DocM]

Star gazing can be a symptom of listeriosis and thiamine deficiency, but it's also just a weird habit some goats have. I've seen it in Nubians and boers, and crosses of the two. They're just kind of... gazey. I've never heard of it being a symptom of any specific mineral deficiency. Neither listeriosis or goat polio (thiamine deficiency) are necessarily fatal; they can be if not treated, but since this goat isn't dead, I doubt it has either of those conditions.

[homebirtha]

"True" stargazing is caused by swelling in the brain. It could be from listeriosis, or some other brain damage. But if it's something like that, they almost can't look forward, their head just pulls up and to the side, no matter what they do. Some goats just look up because they're weird. ;-)

Once you've seen real stargazing, you'll know the difference. It's very alarming.

[moonspinner]

Star gazing as a mineral deficiency? This is a first for me. There is star gazing the behavorial quirk and star gazing the serious symptom of polio/listeriosis. But due to lack of minerals? Did the vet explain further? Which minerals in particular? Anyone else hear/know of this cause?

[HaysFarm]

Alright, now i know what to look for and what the cause is if this ever happens with my girls. The only info that i had been able to find was on polio, But everything i've read said that it ended in death. So i thought there must be another reason cause shes still alive. And no it's not something shes doing now, so i guess that would rule out brain damage. But i woundered if anyone else had deal with this and had another reason. Thank you everyone.

[pokyone42]

We had a doe begin star-gazing after a particularly difficult birth last year.. Had to treat her aggressively...she had severe mastitis, and a calcium definciency. She is fine now... (tho has no milk, but DID give us triplet doelings this year!)
We also have our ff Laverne (our "unicorn") goat, as I goofed on her disbudding last year, so she has one horn, who does her best "Linda Blair from the Excorcist" imitation... She spins her head almost all the way around, just for something to do, I guess...she does that many times a day, and has since she was just a little kidlet. (shrugs)

Then there is our FF "Tiny Carla" who freshened with two beautiful doelings a few weeks ago and hated them and snorted at them, and tried to butt them, and refused to have anything to do with them..(Anna & Nicole), but instead, decided that she is MY mom, and so stargazes (stares) at me constantly! (as well as blats and demands hugs..) lol.

Like the others, tho, if my gut told me something may not be quite right, I would steer clear.