Intestional blockage-what to do?

Head4theHills · #1 05/27/10, 12:39 PM

I think my year old wether has an intestional blockage-Sunday I found a partially chewed plastic bag in his pen that a storm blew in from the garbage cans and that's my prime suspect.

He hasn't been getting any grain, nothing but pasture and he was right as rain a week ago. My other goat is just fine.

He's distended, in pain, and straining-his abdomen heaves, like a vomiting heave only of course he can't vomit. He's only mildly bloated, doesn't mind me palpating his belly and it's reasonably soft considering. His entire demeanor is BLOCKAGE. I haven't seen him chew his cud or poop or pee at all since yesterday. He was mildly uncomfortable since Sunday but now today he's the worst yet. It's been pouring rain, snowing, windy and very cold out so he's been in his little goat house and difficult to observe...

Vets are not much help, I'm surrounded by high dollar horse vets and high dollar small animal vets and so far I can't find someone in between that seems to really know what to do. Surgery unfortunately is not an option.

I'm still calling around and reading up but am hoping someone on here can provide a more direct suggestion?

TIA!

AuntKitty · #2 05/27/10, 01:00 PM

You don't give your location but do you have a veterinary or agricultural college near you? You might call them and ask if they would take care of him.

Kitty

jBlaze · #3 05/27/10, 01:10 PM

I would call every vet clinic and university within 100 miles till you find someone that can help in some way. I have not dealt with that in any way, but it just seems that surgery would be the way to go. Sorry, hate to say that.
Hugs.

**mygoat** · #4 05/27/10, 01:13 PM

Being a wether that is fed grain, it sounds like it's more likely to be Urinary Calculi - in fact I'd strongly suspect it over intestinal impaction from a partial plastic bag... A whole one, maybe - but probably not a partial if most of it is in tact.

Wethers do NOT need grain in their diet - and feeding it often throws off their calicum

hosphorous ratio, causing essentially bladder stones. In does, this isn't an issue because their urethra is short and rather fat - however in wethers and bucks, their urethra is very long and very narrow.

I'd get him to a vet either way. Find a livestock vet for cows/sheep, is what I can suggest - be aware, however, that they often don't know proper dosages or procedures for goat care. Usually it's a good idea to find one in advance. You may have to drive further than you want.

Head4theHills · #5 05/27/10, 01:20 PM

He is not being fed grain! No grain-just pasture.

I'm in rural Montana, the cow/sheep vets aren't much help either and I've lived on a sheep ranch, I know there are not a lot of options.

fishhead · #6 05/27/10, 01:27 PM

You could try tubing some mineral oil into his gut.

Male goats can get UC even if they never get grain. It "may" come from the seed heads on plants just like grain.

jBlaze · #7 05/27/10, 01:28 PM

OP says that he is NOT getting grain, just pasture.

secretcreek · #8 05/27/10, 01:32 PM

Mineral Oil -with something in it so the goat can taste it to avoid inhaling it-drench. Do you hear rumen noises? What's his temp?

Head4theHills · #9 05/27/10, 01:51 PM

Very slight rumen noises, normal temp (with a lot of poo just inside I noticed), forgot to check his gums when I was out there, and I just gave him some olive oil, about 3 cc's give or take what he spit out.

It's so cold here this spring-we don't have any seed heads, we barely have green grass let alone seed heads and there aren't any from last year out there. There's not much out in his pen to eat but grass and the occasional canadian thistle sprout.

mpete · #10 05/27/10, 02:50 PM

Male goats can stil develope UC... the ph in the water can throw off the system in the goat... Is he peeing?
I am sorry, but unless a vet is an option I am not sure I know of anything that can help if he is blocked up...

Is he still dropping berries?

Head4theHills · #11 05/27/10, 03:26 PM

Thanks folks, but he just died.

It could have been either a urinary or abdominal blockage or maybe even something else. He never has been quite right, he was a thin sickly freebie and had been not ever been completely healthy I don't think. His full brother has always been 100% healthy while Thistle has had a lot of colicy episodes, stayed thin. He had courses of antibiotic and worming but was always about the same, not quite right.

He was uncomfortable the last time I checked him but not in distress by any means. I had the neighbor on hand to put him down if I thought it was time but I didn't think it was... Poor little bugger, I feel bad.

fishhead · #12 05/27/10, 03:52 PM

Sorry. He may have had gut damage from coccidiosis when he was younger.

Minelson · #13 05/27/10, 03:58 PM

Oh I'm so sorry

I was about to look up my thread from when my goats ate insulation on what to do. Goats sure don't give you much time to figure things out when they get sick. So very sorry for your loss

jBlaze · #14 05/27/10, 04:18 PM

Very sorry to hear you lost him.

(((Hugs)))

mpete · #15 05/27/10, 06:59 PM

sorry...

have you thought about having someone do a necropsy?

Head4theHills · #16 05/27/10, 07:52 PM

Thanks for the condolances... he was just a pet (as most wethers are) but he's been a real part of the family since I got him and his brother last fall. I used to take them for walks with me and spent time with them every day. I have to admit I didn't know much about goats when I got them and learned on the fly what little I know now. I do think he had something chronic wrong with him and whatever else happened I can't fix it now. He and his brother are night and day healthwise so I think the coccidious possibility is a good one, or just worm damage. Maybe that contributed to UC... He came from a pretty rundown place and out of 12 kids they were giving away for free he and his brother were the last ones. His brother had a limp so he was 2nd to last pick lol.

I hadn't even thought about a necro...hmmm. I'll probably find out I murdered him by neglect somehow.

Minelson · #17 05/27/10, 09:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Head4theHills

I hadn't even thought about a necro...hmmm. I'll probably find out I murdered him by neglect somehow.

NO...I don't think so. It sounds like you cared about him deeply and that goes a long way. Since he was a bit unthrifty from the get go I'm sure his days were numbered.
I learned on the fly myself...This forum and www.fiascofarm.com were the most helpful for everything! You didn't murder or neglect anyone...Do you still have his brother? If so, will he be alone now?
My goats are pets only so I know how you feel...so sorry.

Head4theHills · #18 05/27/10, 10:34 PM

thank you for that...

yes I still have his brother and I will until death do us part-he's a real character and a friend of mine. The one I lost today was the brains in the outfit that's for sure... but I love my goofy goatie. A family friend and livestock guy has an abundance of nubian wethers this year so we put our names in for one to be a buddy for our lone goatie. He's lost right now, he seems so lost. They had never been apart before today....

Minelson · #19 05/28/10, 05:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Head4theHills

thank you for that...

yes I still have his brother and I will until death do us part-he's a real character and a friend of mine. The one I lost today was the brains in the outfit that's for sure... but I love my goofy goatie. A family friend and livestock guy has an abundance of nubian wethers this year so we put our names in for one to be a buddy for our lone goatie. He's lost right now, he seems so lost. They had never been apart before today....

I know how difficult it is to watch an animal grieve...makes your own grief even harder

He will need a lot of extra attention until his new buddy arrives for sure..

Vicki McGaugh TX Nubians · #20 05/28/10, 11:37 PM

And just for the future, when you do oil up a goat for bloat or in the case you want something moved through the system quickly, it's a quart of oil, 3cc would do nothing. It's why you have to learn to tube, using even a small syringe you figure you get most of it on you, the rest goes in his lung, it's an impossible situation. Sorry you lost him. Vicki