Done a dumb thing need advise please.

[meggie]

I bought an old goat. No I bought a way way old goat. The people said she was six.I'm thinking maybe they are mistaken. She has almost no teeth and was starving to death. She also is almost bald from lice. It was a pity buy.
Anyway she can not chew hay or grass or grain. But she can eat equine senior pellets with little problem using her three remaining molars. Equine senior is a compleat feed no extra roughage needed and I have been feeding her 4-5 meals a day. My question is has anyone ever had a "gummer" goat?
Can she stay on the old lady horse food or should I try something like Show Goat Chow. It says it also needs no extra roughage.
She is really doing good got her all wormed and the nasty lice gone and now she sorta looks like the goat I was told she is. She is a very sweet saanen. With the most soft and silky beard I have ever seen.
According to my goat book she scores as a 0-1 on the body condition rating. I have never seen so skinny a goat,alive.
I will try to get pics today and post them.

Thanks

[Janis Sauncy]

Well, if she's Saanen, then she's well worth the effort! (I love Saanens!)

Janis

(who has many "pity" animals, goat and otherwise)

[Raftercat5]

Meggie: I wonder if maybe you can try adding a little bit of water to the goat grain to soften it so she can eat it. As far as her not being able to eat hay, maybe alfalfa pellets (also moistened) may be a good substitute for her. Is there any way the seller could prove to you how old she really is? If she's older than what you were told, it might not be good to breed her when you get her healthy.
- Kathy

[ozark_jewels]

She *may* not be as old as you think. I bought a severely malnutritioned goat several years ago. She was 7 and had almost no teeth due to her deficiencies. But she got on well with soft hays and grasses.
*No* pelleted feed is a complete feed for a ruminant, I don't care what they say about it. A horse is not a ruminant thus can get by on less roughage. Have you tried her on very leafy grass hay(no stem)?? Or a really leafy alfalfa?? I have had goats with just a few chewing teeth and they could still eat soft hays. If this doesn't work can she eat alfalfa pellets?? If they are too hard, try soaking them in a bit of warm water till they soften and "fluff".
She needs some form of roughage.
Congrats on your new girl, hope she does well for you. How soon are you going to breed her??<JUST KIDDING>

[chamoisee]

You can soak beet pulp pellets in hot water until they're soft. My goats loved this and it also helps put flesh on them.

[ajharris]

Originally Posted by Janis Sauncy

Well, if she's Saanen, then she's well worth the effort! (I love Saanens!)

I agree Janis! I love my Saanen's!

[Freeholder]

It seems like I've heard that old sheep with only a few teeth did better if all the remaining teeth were pulled, so they could more efficiently eat with their gums -- the gum pad hardens after a bit. Could you ask a vet if that might be the case with this girl? Then feed chopped very fine hay, or very good leafy alfalfa hay.

Kathleen

[meggie]

Thanks all for the great advise. She can not chew even really nice soft leafy hay. I'll add the moist alfalfa pellets.She'll give anything a try.
Well here she is ,she has improved so much in just a week,she was totaly sunk in now her tummy has filled in her sides.

[IMG][/IMG]

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[lgslgs]

She's got such a sweet face! No wonder she talked you into taking her home.

Lynda

[Patty0315]

Poor girl looks so thin still. Good job saving her.


Patty

[ozark_jewels]

Poor girl. Truly though, I have seen much worse. She looks like she needs minerals too.....have you checked her for lice??

[Feral Nature]

If she is doing well on the senior horse feed, then good, keep feeding it too her. I feed alot of "shredded" beet pulp to my goats for roughage because hay is in such short supply around these parts.

She looks real wormy to me and it is a good bet that she was not routinely wormed at her previous home. Do that right away. And then repeat in 10-19 days. Cydectin pour on for cattle is given ORALLY to goats at 1 cc per 25 lbs. You can have the vet run a fecal if possible to determine what you are dealing with. Valbezen will get tapes and is given at the rate of 1cc per 10 lbs.

I am so glad this goat has a good home. Does she have a buddy?

[Feral Nature]

Also, I would imagine her hooves need some work. Keep at them routinely and she will be most greatful

[deetu]

I would give the senior horse feed and wet alfalfa too. My horse's senior feed is puffed, kinda like cheese doodles and really easy to eat. Made by Blue Seal.

Did you hear how often she has been saying "thank you"?

[meggie]

She did have lice and worms and not so very bad hooves.
Stormy will be joining my herd of nubians after her second lice treatment.
Emily ,I'm glad you have seen worse recover ,I just have a feeling she will be a great goat. She really is super sweet and tame goat she was a family milk goat till they wanted to get out of goats.
I use beet pulp with my other goats but that is the one thing she just isn't sure of yet. But once she sees the others slurping away she'll join in. (I hope)
Thanks for the hope everyone....

[prairiedog]

We gave our old toothless horse senior food and beet pulp soaked in warm water

[CritterLover]

They sell alfalfa in a cubed form that I have soaked in water and given to horses after having their teeth floated (they were too sore to eat hay) and seemed to work. It would probably accomplish the same thing as the soaked pellets but might be easier on the mouth since its shredded instead of extruded?

[harplade]

we have one with no teeth. We are rotationally grazing the goats and she seems to do fine b/c everything is tender and new. I notice sometimes that her lips get very swollen and I think that is from pulling the grass with her lips since she can't cut it with her teeth. she is our herd queen and a great one-I'll know when someone else takes over that she is losing her edge and then have to deal with her in a different way.

Harplade

[moosemaniac]

This stuff
http://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail.h...1-18ef33a0ae8d
works wonders on building up weight on a goat. They like the taste too. Smells like vanilla ice cream. I sold a goat once and ended up buying her back. She looked like that. Hope is beautiful now.

Ruth