Be careful with sprayers

[LaManchaPaul]

Yesterday late afternoon, I got a quart of milk from Ava after only tablespoons for the last three evenings. I thought GREAT. I’ve milked her completely out after the kids finished. She’s making more than the girls need. The kids were bouncy and playing queen of the mountain on a clump of hay. A little after dark I went to their bed and my heart skipped a beat. They were both lying flat so I touched each little girl and she raised her head. Loving on them, I told them to not play with me like that, because I had thought that they were dead.

This morning at daylight, Magic was bouncy but Lucero was again flat. I told her to get up and stop playing ‘possum. When I touched her my heart broke. She was cold and stiff. Magic was eating with her tail wagging. Stunned, my mind raced to think of what in the world could have caused her to up and die. Everything else in the barnyard was normal, so I went next door for coffee, leaving the dead kid because her mom kept nudging her. We talked about it and no possible way to eat rat poisoning, they are not with the adults so no way to have been hit. No animals could have gotten to her and she was in the same spot as last night.

After coffee, I returned and Magic was drooling from the mouth! In a panic, I called mentor, but no answer. I then called Suzanne. She suggested a vet, and calmly reminded me of things that were possible. Poisoning. Of course I had already thought of that but the symptoms were just that. She walked me through charcoal and a pinch of baking soda, and vitamin B. I raced over to Mentor The Great’s house for the items and returned to give it to her.

THANK YOU SUSANNE.

After doctoring her, she seemed to want to be held. So I loved up on her for about an hour. I realized that there is an empty sprayer that brother-in-law loaned me to spray my garden a good distance from the stall but ‘available’ to be licked on by the babies. With my human kids, I kid-proofed the house with wall socket plugs, security latches on cabinets, liquids placed on the top shelf… things like that. I didn’t think of the sprayer having residue on it, let alone that they might have an interest in it. I know that leaving this sprayer within their territory is the culprit.

I guess this long post is for other newbies, advising that one can’t be too careful. Thanks again Susanne, and sorry that I was incoherent at times. Even if Magic doesn’t make it I did what seemed to be appropriate. However, right now she is again bouncing.
I am so sad, but so glad at the same time AND thankful that Susanne was by her phone. What emotions!! If I were a drinking man, I take on a six-pack right now.

Paul

[ValerieM]

Oh Paul I am so sorry for your loss of Lucero! I cannot imagine how awful that must have been to find her like that. You and your other little one will be in my thoughts.

[jBlaze]

Oh Paul. I am SO terribly sorry for your loss.
Thank you for sharing your sad story so that we will remember and be more careful ourselves.
We have sprayers in our barn, not in the goat area, but they do get out. I will find a way to move the sprayers and other nasties into a more remote location for sure.
I just feel so bad for you! I know how much these babies meant to you. Your Magic will be in my thoughts and prayers. I sure hope she recovers fully.
HUGS,
Jean.

[susanne]

paul i'm so glad the one kid is doing better. it was a shot in the dark but obviously we hit it
if this doe kid recover fully, it will make my day. good luck with her.
so sorry you lost the other one

[Lizza]

Oh, Paul, I am so sorry! Thank you for the warning about your sprayer.

[Hawkfamily]

So sorry to hear about your loss! I need to get out there and check our barn. I know there's a little area that we stuff things that the babies are rooting around in.
Thanks for the heads up here and sharing your story.

[catdance62]

I am so sad for you and sorry you lost your baby. ((HUGS))
I try to be real careful about what I leave around the barn, but that is something I'll bet a lot of people wouldn't think of.

[thaiblue12]

Oh Paul I am sorry that is awful. I hope Magic makes it.
I guess this is yet another reason why they are called kids, just like humans ones they get into everything.

[Rockytopsis]

I am so sorry.

[Minelson]

Oh no!!! I am so sorry
I told my Dh right away because we have a sprayer that we keep in the barn. Even though it's cleaned off and flushed out...it is being moved to the garage. I have been talking about your 2 babies to him...he feels bad too. I always feel like I'm harping on him about these kinds of dangers, so now he really knows that tragedy can strike. Thank you for the warning but I'm so sad you lost Lucero. Hugs to you and prayers that Magic will be ok. It sounds like you caught it in time.

[susanne]

paul how is the little thing tonight?

[LaManchaPaul]

Thanks everyone. Magic is perky and happy. I guess she didn't ingest as much as Lucero. Yea, too late for her but now this sprayer is in the metal building. BIL had used it to spray a herbacide on his garden and rinsed it out. I had put the liquid to be used in the metal building but not the sprayer.

Magic is so loveable. Her mom has been looking for her sister all day. It is so sad to hear her call for the baby.

Thanks again Susanne for being there.

I owe so much more than I could ever repay to the folks on this forum. Also, I would never have thought that I would care so much for a goat, but these guys are very special.
Paul

[Goat Servant]

oh LamanchaPaul how unfortunate! Hopefully you caught Magic in time! Whodathunk she'd lick a sprayer.

[susanne]

i'm glad she is doing fine. that is all that counts.
of course, now i have a close eye on magic and want to know how she is doing all the way growing up. hope this is not a burden for you

[BethW]

Oh Paul, I'm so sorry. Poor Lucero

I'm so glad Magic is doing better, and I'm so glad Susanne was there to help you through it.

They really do steal your heart, don't they?

[KimM]

Awww, that is so sad, I'm sorry for your loss. I'm glad though that you allow yourself to feel the sorrow as it makes the joys all the more special. Give Magic a hug for me.

[LaManchaPaul]

Magic, the other little doeling seemed fine and was bouncy and happy. Yesterday afternoon she was running in front of mom and enjoying life. The temp of the day warmed nicely, probably 55. Over night we had a bad freeze again.

This morning at daylight Magic was lathargic. Temp 94. I put her in bath of hot water (cooler filled, her in a plastic bag) gave Vit B shot, tube-ed her with warm electrolytes. Her temp returned to 102 but she never recovered.

There is just something special about babies, but the baby goat sits on a higher pedistal. Hard lessons are in it for all of us, but philosophy fails me right now.

Thanks to everyone for your support and kind words.
Paul

[stanb999]

I just saw your post...

I'm wondering if it may have been the bad weather of the last few days. Sometimes they can get cold from the dampness even if they aren't exactly wet.

[susanne]

it is really a sad outcome. just recovered from poisoning, she was not strong enough to handle the weather swings.
so sorry you lost her

[BethW]

Oh no How heartbreaking. I'm so sorry.