Kid in pain, urgent, I think

xoxoGOATSxoxo · #1 05/31/10, 03:30 PM

Hey guys, sorry I havent been around much lately. About two weeks ago I bought two 3/4 boer bucklings who I have since wethered. (I was planning on putting pics up tomorrow, so shush) They both are very loud, is this normal for boer x's? One is particularly loud, and has sort of a strange voice. It brought me running the first few times I heard him yell, because I thought he was in pain or stuck or something. But he always does this, so I think it might just be his normal voice. He (and sometimes his brother) also grind their teeth sometimes, which scared me at first because I thought they were in pain, but I never found anything wrong with them and they never really acted odd in any other way. I figured maybe it was a habit, or maybe they just had a particularly crunchy bit of grain in their mouths whenever I caught them...

Anyway, they both got out today a few times (and I think I finally found where...) but now the loud one (Casper) is acting odd. When I put them back in their pen the other one (Calvin) went right out to eat some grass, but Casper didnt follow him as usual. He is usually sort of subdued, except for that voice. I picked him up, and he freaked out. He yelled and squirmed, so I put him down and then he went over to stand by his brother. But he went down on his knees, and up again, and down again, sort of like an uncomfortable doe in labor. Then he stood with his back hunched and his back legs stretched out.

Does he have a stomachache, maybe from getting out today? I know they both got a little chicken feed, but they mostly ate grass and weeds. He definitely seems as though he is in some sort of pain. Otherwise he wouldnt stand like that, right? Should I dose him with baking soda? How much? Pepto bismol? Something else? Should I just keep an eye on him? Please help. I'm going out to check on him again now.

But is he maybe sick, instead? Could his odd voice and his teeth grinding have meant that he was sick and I ignored it long enough that he's now really sick?

ozark_jewels · #2 05/31/10, 03:34 PM

Hm, I would start by giving him banamine, activated charcoal in mineral oil, and some vitamin B.
Did you band them?? If so, just on the off chance, make sure the bands are in the correct place and not pinching anything too high.
How are their temps?? High would indicate an infection. Low might indicate entero. Have they been vaccinated with CDT?

Sbrock · #3 05/31/10, 03:42 PM

Maybe put them in a smaller area where you can see if they are peeing normally as well. You want to be able to eliminate as many variables as possible in the quickest timeframe. I've set up pens in my garage for "potty monitoring" since the concrete floor is easily disinfected, and it's easy to see if they are going. Don't put bedding down until you are sure they are eliminating properly.

xoxoGOATSxoxo · #4 05/31/10, 03:47 PM

I know we dont have any banamine, and I think we dont have any activated charcoal. We do have mineral oil. I'm not sure about the vitamin B...

I did band them, but it was more than a week ago (not last friday but the friday before) and I didnt get the teats, though I spose it cant hurt to check again. I will in just a minute, and the temps too.

Yes, they were both vaccinated with CDT.

As of a few minutes ago they were both in the barn (its raining) and Casper (the one I'm worried about) was standing sort of staring into space but without his back hunched. Calvin was sleeping on the floor next to him but didnt want to get up when I tried to check on him, but I made him anyway and his rumen is pretty big. He felt fine enough to run away from me, though.

Ok, I'm gonna go take temps.

xoxoGOATSxoxo · #5 05/31/10, 04:05 PM

Ok, vitamin E and mineral oil, yes, activated charcoal and banamine, no. How much of the E and oil? The vitamin E is in little gel capsules and it says "400 IU".

Temps are fine, around 103 for both, as are the bands. Casper was again staring into space, but scratched his head while I watched him, and Calvin was lying on his side (but he's kind of a ditz and does that anyway) and got up when I came to pet him. Both peed while I was out there, and no problems (whew) and Casper pooed normally. And not this time, but the last time I was out there (15 minutes?) Calvin pooed normally as well, so for now thats all ok.

They did both investigate some new straw I put down where Calvin was lying.

mpete · #6 05/31/10, 06:07 PM

goat polio can be caused by the stress of moving or banding... get Vit. B into him right away if you don't have thiamine... can't do any harm, I am worried about the staring tinto space..... Vit. b cvomplex is dosed at 40 cc per 100 lbs.....

KimM · #7 05/31/10, 06:24 PM

Personally I'd treat for entertoxemia and fast.

Backfourty,MI. · #8 06/01/10, 06:16 AM

I don't really have any advice but was just checking in to see how he's doing today? It sounds like a stomach ache to me but some of the others could be right as I've never had experience with polio or enterotoxemia. Have you given him any baking soda just in case? Charcoal from fish aquarium filters will work for the charcoal if you have a fish tank. You mix it with the mineral oil, it's incase they ate stuff they weren't supposed to like poison, etc.

susanne · #9 06/01/10, 09:14 AM

how old are they and are they on cocci prevention?
keep them out of chicken food as this really cabn and will kill them.