Spice T finally kidded - Hard Birth (long story)

[sixstrothers]

Hope you are doing well. Merry Christmas

Well Spice T never went in to hard labor, so on Sunday we gave her a shot of lutalyse to help the contractions get harder. We tried to make sure there were no obstructions in the birth canal, as we feared this might be the cause of her not going into hard labor. She basically had light contractions for 3 days (Thurs, Fri and Sat). We couldnt feel anything and she was dialated some so we felt she would deliver by the next day.

8am Monday, today, she started pushing and I felt a bubble coming so we thought, finally. She was exhausted and her pushing was minimal, so I go in to help her. I got two feet and could feel the mouth.....oh no, it wouldnt pass by the pelvic bone. This kids was huge in the head.........pulled and pulled and tried to move the head down.........nothing. Head stuck as far as 3 of us were concerned and afraid to pull any more. Off to the vet we go...........no goat vets here by the way. Horse vets wouldnt touch her. Ok, found a dog vet, pull up with her in the back of our pickup truck and they were like hmmm, is this an emergency or just treated as a normal visit. A lady comes out with a hand held stretcher and was like smiling goofy and going oh just look at you. Well wrong thing to do when I have been pulling for the last 30mins........I said you know what? Forget it your not doing anything. I had my husband drive us to a country vet that handled cows and saved our dog last yr from a uterine infection after delivering 9 puppies.

It is an hr drive that my husband of course made in 30 mins. My daughter and I rode in the back of our pickup holding spice. I had her head under my shirt to shield her from all the wind, my daughter covered her with her jacket where she was wet from trying to deliver. We get there and the vet tells us to park under the shade tree (83 degrees here today). He comes with his chain, bucket and ob loop. I thought well the kid is bound to be dead by now. His little legs hanging out and cold by now. But we could feel movement inside so we figured ok, there is still one alive. He moves his head around puts on the chains and pulls.... not much movement. He puts the ob loop around his head and starts to pull.....out he comes. This buck is as long as from the vets shoulders to his knees.......I am thinking oh my gosh, he is so big. He swings him and HE CRIED!!! I cried and said oh my he is alive. He took the buck inside came back out to see if there were any more. No more, just this one single buck.

Spice is swollen but feeling so much better now. And we have one gorgeous buck. His name is Charlie.


The bandage on the leg is a tongue depressor broke in half and vet wrap. His front hoof was bending due to all the pulling and so we were supporting it with this so he could stand.


Lori

[BlueHeronFarm]

Oh, he is wonderful.
I'm glad it all worked out for you and for Spice.

[cathleenc]

just delighted that the story had a happy ending - but sorry that it was so hard on so many of you.
Cathy

[Kazahleenah]

He's adorable!! Sorry it was such a hard delivery, and hope Spice heals well and fast.

Kaza

[deafgoatlady]

OH wow! Amazing story. u are soo LUCKY... WOW charlie is sooooo pretty!!! I love his color!!! Wow.. Lucky u... U almost made me cry while reading the story LOL.

[HazyDay]

Congrats! He looks like a keeper! Hope momma is doing good! Now you just made me not want to kid out my 3 FF does! Well it is to late now! They are due in 25 days, 2 months,3 months! Lets hope my buck throws nice small kids! He was a very big buckling so I am a little afraid! (I think he was 12 pounds! and his twin was 8 pounds. )

[fishhead]

I'm constantly amazed at how tough goats are and how fragile they are at the same time.

Good story!

[Cloverbud]

How handsome! Glad all is well for everyone.

[armeda]

Pretty scary stuff. I'm glad it all worked out. He's cute.

[collegeboundgal]

so sweet. glad everything turned out okay. too bad he's not a doe!

-Melissa

[Feral Nature]

Congrats on the kid and live doe. I had 3 tough deliveries last year. Had I not been of the type that actually loves assisting (I'm an old labor and delivery nurse) it would not have been a good outcome. Folks should look over the pics that many sites have (such as fiascofarms) of malpresentations so they can imagine what is going on inside. Then have on hand what is needed to assit. Many trips to the vet can be avoided (sixstrothers, just speaking in general here)...if people knew what to do. Attempting to get a doe to kid out small multiple kids instead of one big one is a start. Management plays a big part.

Great job saving her and the kid...enjoy that pretty boy

[sixstrothers]

Well I will tell you this.........management was a number one priority on this doe. She was fed alfalfa pellets with a mix feed and only 1 cup (8oz) twice a day with free choice hay, minerals and browse. We did Bo-Se shots before breeding to try to encourage multiple kids and not to have single kids born this yr.

We have had big single deliveries in the past and actually lost a doe last yr to a single buck with his head back. We worked on Spice T for about 1 hr trying all we could to get the buck out. I am just thrilled the buck and her survived the ordeal.

Also, I have read and had professional help and friendly advice from a lady I look up to who raised goats for 30 yrs and now does articles to help people, Ms Sue Reith. We did everything in our power before breeding, during pregnancy and during labor to avoid any problems. Unfortunately, i think sometimes it just happens and I would be very interested in what you think we could have done to avoid this situation that we didnt try or do, Feral Nature.

I knew in my heart after all the pulling that we alone could not get this kid out......nor could Spice deliver him. So this vet trip could not have been avoided and again, I am just so thankful for the vet that got him out, without putting our doe in more danger with anethesia and a c-section. We too had meds on hand that most do not... such as the lutalyse, oxytocin, banamine......so I was prepared.

So speaking in a general form...........we all try to be as prepared as possible for our kiddings.

Lori

[goatkid]

Congratulations on that beautiful kid. You did your best. Sometimes our best is getting the goat to a vet, like you did. I've had to have a couple of C sections where large bucklings presented head first, no feet and the kids were too large to push back in to rearrange. My kids and does survived and that's what counts. I'm sure that some folks on these forums who have a medical background are better equipped than most to deal with the tough births.

[sixstrothers]

Thanks we are enjoying him being here.


He is definitely all legs as he only weighed 8lbs.

[Starsmom]

Love the spots...what a wonderful ending to a frightening situation. I am glad all turned out well. I suppose he is a keeper...Hard to get rid of one that took so much to get into the world.

[HazyDay]

She couldn't pass a 8 pound buckling! Man was she a FF??? By the looks of your website that should make here a fourth kidded! His head must have swelled 2 times the size if he was only a 8 pound kid! The biggest kid I had born was 12 pounds this year and he was a twin! Mom passed him without any help or me!

[johnsmb]

Oh, he is soooo beautiful! I want him!

[sixstrothers]

What happened is she never fully dialated. She had mild labor for 3 days and never would go into hard labor. We gave a shot of lutalyse on Sunday afternoon and then on Monday morning gave a shot of oxytocin to get the contractions to be harder. That is the only thing I can think of was that she just didnt dialate enough. The head would not pass thru the pelvic bone. I could only get my had in right behind his head and couldnt budge it. I think the hour drive helped her to dialate more after the oxytocin shot because the vet had no problem after he repositioned his head.

Lori

[HazyDay]

He is such a cute buckling! He has a home at my place any time!

[CGFarm]

Have you given her any calcuim?
Denise