Goat down!!! NEED HELP!

Bricheze · #1 02/18/10, 05:50 PM

I found my youngest kid on the ground crying today. He couldn't stand up on his own and was down on his side. I gave him some grain and electrolytes, but he still can't get up on his own (he can stand for a few seconds if I help him up though) I'm freaked out because he is my bottle baby wether that is supposed to be a pack goat. He has been sickly all winter and has faded fur, I'll post picks ASAP. His mom was selenium deficient and he has had seizures when he was on the bottle (he got over them with age) could it be hyperglycemia?

He ate plenty of grain but didn't willingly take the electrolytes, I gtg now but I'll try to give more details when I get back, please help me!

ACountryMomma · #2 02/18/10, 06:10 PM

could it be white muscle disease? If his mother was deficient and she was raised in your area he could be deficient as well. In my area my NEW (and oh so excellent vet) said that the soil is terribly lacking in selenium and he recommends giving a dose (2.5cc per 100lbs) 2x per year to all goats, not just pg does.

I would try a shot of BoSe and do what ever you can to get fluid in. Try warm water with molasses - when my whether was very sick last fall he would still drink that. And as always - when was the last deworming? High parasite load can tear them up and rough coat and energy loss are common indicators.

But my first thought based on your post is selenium. Other thought - give iv fluids if possible (vet needs to get you the fluids).

My thoughts and prayers are with you both. Keep us updated.

valsey · #3 02/18/10, 06:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bricheze

He has been sickly all winter and has faded fur, I'll post picks ASAP.

Have no idea really, but I do know my goat's coats are extremely faded due to copper deficiency.

Good luck

Alice In TX/MO · #4 02/18/10, 06:23 PM

Ditto on the copper and faded color.

When you say grain, do you mean GRAIN? I don't feed males grain.

I feed them pelleted buck feed that has the coccidia med and ammonium chloride in it to prevent urinary stones.

yarrow · #5 02/18/10, 06:32 PM

I would be also be thinking about Polio.. if that's it he needs thiamine NOW!

susie, mo ozarks

Bricheze · #6 02/18/10, 06:35 PM

I don't normally feed grain, I was just giving it to him this one time to get something into him. I've suspected copper defeciency for a while, but I haven't given him a bolus yet because he just turned 6 months old; and I was worried he was too young and I still need to order new ones for him.

I can't give him a shot of BoSe or anything else for that matter, because I don't have keys to the room where all the medication is kept. Normally someone else is there, and now I definitely need that key! I don't really have a vet that specializes in goats so there is no one I can really go to. I am going to call my mentor and see if he can help.

I got him home and he is laying on the couch next to me. He is wide awake but won't move an inch on his own. I'm giving him a bottle of Gatorade for electrolytes; it's funny that he will still take one even months after I've weened him.

Bricheze · #7 02/18/10, 06:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yarrow

I would be also be thinking about Polio.. if that's it he needs thiamine NOW!

susie, mo ozarks

Isn't that normally seen in really young goats?

Plus they have been getting excellent quality grass hay for months and he has never had grain before today.

Bricheze · #8 02/18/10, 06:52 PM

Okay I can give you guys some more details on this goat now. He is 8 months old. I bottle raised him since birth, when I was late to giving him a bottle, he would take the bottle, and about half way through the feeding fall over and act like he was having a seizure. These stopped after I weened him, but about 3 months ago I took all the goats on a jog and at the end of it he had another seizure, but hasn't had one since.

He was castrated at the age of 4 months old to reduce the risk of urinary calculi as he is supposed to grow up to be a pack goat. His diet is grass hay only, he has never had any type of grain before today. I gave him some calf manna at the beginning of the winter, but I ran out and never remembered to buy some more (but I still planned on it). I walk my goats every day, and I walked him yesterday when he was acting a lot more tired then usual, but he was still keeping up. He was last checked on today at 1:30 when he was up and walking around. I came to take them on a walk at about 4:30 and he was on the ground, crying out, and wouldn't get up.

So this is very sudden, he has been more tired and sickly over the past few months, but I figured it was the copper deficiency and just the cold winter. They have a salt lick with selenium for access to the selenium, and they were all given BoSe at birth. I was going to deworm next week, it's been about 6 months since the last time they have been dewormed, but none of them were really showing symptoms of worms.

Oh and he pooed, and it was very normal, no diarrhea at all.

ACountryMomma · #9 02/18/10, 07:03 PM

I'm sure the other folks here are giving great advice - I'm only in my 3rd year here... But my vet advised the selenium shots even though I top dress morning and evening feedings with a mineral supplement daily with selenium in it for all my goats & they have free access through out the day to a mineral block in the summer (with both copper and selenium in it). If they have a goat mineral block it probably has copper in it, too.

So... can copper be low with a mineral block like selenium can? If so then that could surely be the problem.

Will you be able to access the meds tomorrow?

Bricheze · #10 02/18/10, 07:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ACountryMomma

I'm sure the other folks here are giving great advice - I'm only in my 3rd year here... But my vet advised the selenium shots even though I top dress morning and evening feedings with a mineral supplement daily with selenium in it for all my goats & they have free access through out the day to a mineral block in the summer (with both copper and selenium in it). If they have a goat mineral block it probably has copper in it, too.

So... can copper be low with a mineral block like selenium can? If so then that could surely be the problem.

Will you be able to access the meds tomorrow?

Yes, as early as 5 AM.

But all I have is BoSe, I am out of Copper.

ACountryMomma · #11 02/18/10, 07:18 PM

You keep babying him and keep him drinking. It's good that his poop is normal! Do you think your mentor may have some copper, or know a goat person who does?

Bricheze · #12 02/18/10, 07:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ACountryMomma

You keep babying him and keep him drinking. It's good that his poop is normal! Do you think your mentor may have some copper, or know a goat person who does?

Maybe, my cell phone is broken so I can't call anyone! What a bad day yesterday was for it to fall out of my pocket and get stepped on by a horse

susanne · #13 02/18/10, 07:22 PM

the first thing you do if a goat is down, you take his vital signs like temp, frequence and quality of breathing, peeing freely, pooping normal.
how is the color of his lower eyelids/ when was the last fecal check? de worme with what? checked if it was effective?
mineral licks are not good for goats. if he was sickly the whole winter, what did you do to improve his condition?
i can't help, but too much info missing.

susanne · #14 02/18/10, 07:25 PM

wanted to add, the worst thing to do is change feed in a goat that is already down.

Bricheze · #15 02/18/10, 07:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by susanne

wanted to add, the worst thing to do is change feed in a goat that is already down.

Oh, well he wouldn't eat any hay at all and I didn't know he had eaten anything today; but I'll just offer hay from now on.

valsey · #16 02/18/10, 07:55 PM

Seems like eating something not normally in their diet is better than not eating at all, but that's just me.

susanne · #17 02/18/10, 08:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by valsey

Seems like eating something not normally in their diet is better than not eating at all, but that's just me.

you are feeding the bacteria in the rumen that have grown there from certain feed, in this case grass hay. the bacteria that are needed to break down the grain in this case are not there and worst case scenario is a goat dying from enterotoxemia because switching feed too abrupt.

valsey · #18 02/18/10, 08:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by susanne

you are feeding the bacteria in the rumen that have grown there from certain feed, in this case grass hay. the bacteria that are needed to break down the grain in this case are not there and worst case scenario is a goat dying from enterotoxemia because switching feed too abrupt.

but the goat will starve to death if it eats nothing...no?

Bricheze · #19 02/18/10, 08:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by susanne

you are feeding the bacteria in the rumen that have grown there from certain feed, in this case grass hay. the bacteria that are needed to break down the grain in this case are not there and worst case scenario is a goat dying from enterotoxemia because switching feed too abrupt.

His rumen is active and he doesn't have diarrhea. My thinking was, if he is hypoglycemic from mineral deficiency, and he hadn't eaten anything today, he needed food.

With his bottle this summer, the longer I waited to get him milk, the worse the seizures would be. But it's wrong to assume that it is the same thing, so I will just give him hay for now.

Bricheze · #20 02/18/10, 08:29 PM

I just got him to stand up and pee. It's a really dark yellow, isn't it supposed to be clear? I've never exactly collected it in a cup before

but he had no trouble peeing.

When he stands it's more like he has no balance, over being tired, he keeps falling over to his left, unless if he walks to a wall and leans against it. But as he stands against the wall he slowly falls to his left and is eventually down on his side again.