Really need advice about doe in milk fever and upcoming labor

[farm mom]

Hi there,

I have an experienced doe who was due yesterday. She has always had uncomplicated pregnancies and deliveries. On Weds. of this week I noticed she was developing symptoms of milk fever. Mostly the fact that she was not wanting to get up and was very weak/unable to get herself up when forced to. I began treating her with CMPK oral (I can't get the injectable) 30 cc every 2-3 hours. Her appetite has been great during all of this. She is now able to stand up fairly easily though she doesn't like to. I make her get up twice a day. It takes her a few seconds to get all the way up but no apparent muscle weakness (this is a very, very large doe who carries large, 9-10 lb, kids. So she is huge right now). When she gets up she will eat well, go to the bathroom, drink, and walk around just a bit but then she is right back down again. Is there anything else I can be doing for her? Will the slight muscle weakness impede uterine contractions in anyway? She is generally not overdue and is showing no signs of upcoming labor (though she was at the breeders for two months and the breeder has been known to be wrong on dates in the past). This is my absolute favorite doe and an amazing milker so I don't want to miss anything here. I have successfully treated a case of milk fever here in the past that was much worse but only once so I am no expert. Thank you!

[steff bugielski]

If it were me I would keep up with the treatment.and Lots of hay .
Mine often just lay there if they are that heavy bred. As long as she is eating drinking and pooping she should be OK.

[Alice In TX/MO]

I'd make her get up more often than that. I'd also feed her Tums if she will eat them for a snack.

Here's a link with more and better info:
http://www.dairygoatinfo.com/index.php?topic=22.0

Substitute homemade CMPK
http://www.dairygoatinfo.com/index.php?topic=27.0

[motdaugrnds]

Alice, thank you so much for those links. I knew CMPK had worked wonders in my heard at times I suspected the emergence of off-feed problems. I just never knew for sure why. Those urls are very clear and informative.

[Natural Beauty Farm]

Are you sure its milk fever?

Large kids
Late stages of pregnancy
Maybe she is just pooped
Instead of burning her mouth with oral CMPK
IMO I'd get her up and moving more and give her tums. Sometimes we hurt them more by trying to help

[farm mom]

The only reason I thought she was in the beginning stages of milk fever on Weds. was when she went to try and get up (actually me forcing her up after realizing she has been in the same spot for a long time) she literally almost did a complete somersault because she was so weak and had no leg strength. This doe has had triplets before so being big is not unusual for her and she has never acted like this. She loves tums so I do give her those as well. Knowing oral CMPK can burn her mouth I dilute it and then flush her mouth after words. So far she is eating great and I haven't seen any evidence her mouth is bothering her.

I would love to switch to just giving her tums though and maybe now that her muscle weakness seems to be much improved I could just maintain her with the tums. What would be an appropriate amount to give daily? (Again, she is a big doe about 200 lbs when not pregnant).

[Tallabred]

I have one doe that I am always concerned about milk fever. She LOVES tums and raisins(high in copper and iodine) but she will suck the injectable CMPK right out of a syringe.

I am not sure if it is the calcium issues or a combination with energy/calories. I also gave her B12 shots.

[motdaugrnds]

Tallabred, where do you get the "injectable" CMPK. I have not been able to find it. Also, wouldn't it burn her mouth like the paste does?

[Alice In TX/MO]

You may think I'm nuts, but I got this for the goats, too.....

http://www.amazon.com/LifeTime-Citra.../dp/B0007UEJ00

[Goat Servant]

Injectable CMPK is ver rx and is given as injectable not orally. Theres other stuff available but I cant think of it off the top of my head that burns the mouth so it needs to be diluted.
Jeffers has some calcium drench but must be given slowly.
Id go with B comlex to help with appetite, maybe some alfalfa tea.
And yes your gonna have to get her moving more often.
Hope she pulls out of for you.

[farm mom]

Thanks everyone, she is doing much, much better today. Getting up on her own and acting more normal. Starting to get a little bit of a bag so hopefully it won't be much longer for her.

[Pony]

We get the injectable CMPK at the vets. It is commonly used in bovines, and is very inexpensive. I think we paid about $5 or $6 for a BIG bottle. My gal has multiple births with large kids, and the last kidding, I just went ahead and hit her with 30 cc a day starting at day 148.

As already noted, heavy-bred does tend to slow down toward the end of pregnancy, but they should be able to get up and walk about.

Good luck with your doe. Prayers for healthy delivery of healthy kids.

[punchiepal]

When we use CMPK I use MFO from Jeffers and add some thawed concentrated apple juice to it. They love it!