Wether's head always turned to one side

holmestead · #1 07/25/11, 11:09 PM

I was out of town for a week and when I got back I found one of my la mancha wethers has his head twisted to his right and seems unwilling to keep it straight. I also found a fresh bump on halfway down his neck and a fresh bump along his jaw line. He had a bump on his neck about 2 months ago but it never got real large and just went away.

I'm guessing I should try to extract pus from one of the abscesses and send it off for testing for CL--but has anyone ever seen this twisted head thing before?

mariaricarto · #2 07/25/11, 11:25 PM

Maybe he is keeping his head that way so he can breathe? The bumps may be impinging on his airway.

Good luck.

holmestead · #3 07/25/11, 11:28 PM

These bumps aren't very large so I hope it's not affecting his breathing. They don't look like the pictures of CL abscesses I've looked at--but since they are now recurring I don't know of any other potential causes.

where I want to · #4 07/25/11, 11:31 PM

Check listeriosis or tetanus. Does he have a fever?

holmestead · #5 07/25/11, 11:33 PM

I'm a total rookie. Do I just try to keep a thermometer under his tongue or is it done at the other end?

where I want to · #6 07/25/11, 11:34 PM

Other end. What other symptoms doe he have?

holmestead · #7 07/25/11, 11:37 PM

I just read the article on listeriosis at goatworld.com (http://www.goatworld.com/articles/li...sis_gwmf.shtml) and they also listed polioencephalomalcia as a possibility. We are in severe drought so the pasture quality is going downhill. I put out a protein block for a little while this evening and will put it out again in the morning.

holmestead · #8 07/25/11, 11:38 PM

The only symptoms I see are the two bumps I mentioned in the OP and the turning of the head to the side.

where I want to · #9 07/25/11, 11:45 PM

Tetanus usually has a stiffness in legs and a twitching of eyes lids too.
Listeriosis needs antibiotics.
Goat polio is helped with large doses of thiamin or if you don't have it, fortified B complex. I've had a case of goat polio and the doe walked like her feet hurt her with stiff legs. Her pupils were dilated too.
I'm looking in my goat books and they mention rabies too. I have never seen it thank goodness but use care handling him just in case.

Manchamom · #10 07/26/11, 01:48 AM

Could he have gotten stung/bit by something that is making his airway constricted? Like yellow jackets or horseflys. Just a thought.

houndlover · #11 07/26/11, 01:51 AM

Is he off feed? Does he have diarrhea? I'm betting injury. CL is very specific to location. I'm betting he was battling with another goat.

Alice In TX/MO · #12 07/26/11, 07:20 AM

Good grief, do NOT put out a protein block for a buck or weather. Put out hay.

Have you seen him pee freely and poop?

holmestead · #13 07/26/11, 09:14 AM

Just took the temperature. He's running 103.0. I've got him isolated in my backyard. He is having real trouble climbing stairs. He just tried to go up a couple of steps and slipped onto his side.

I've seen him poop freely and it looked like a normal consistency, haven't seen him pee.

Okay, so no protein blocks for bucks or wethers.

fishhead · #14 07/26/11, 09:35 AM

Watch him right after he stands up from laying down a while. He should pee then.

Yes if your pasture is poor he'll need hay.

holmestead · #15 07/26/11, 09:43 AM

I got out and walked the pasture this morning to get him--like I said I've been gone--and there is actually still a lot of green foliage and grass so I'm ruling out pasture quality. I know my two wethers are copper deficient because they won't touch the goat mineral I give--that's why I was trying the goat protein block because they will go for that and at least get SOME copper! Could this be a nutrient deficiency problem? The other wether seems okay but I'm sure each animal is different.

Alice In TX/MO · #16 07/26/11, 09:54 AM

NO. There is SOMETHING WRONG! Have you seen him pee yet?

When my beautiful MiniMancha buckling got urinary calculi, before I understood how to feed male goats, he was in SO MUCH PAIN that he carried his head sideways like that.

HAVE YOU SEEN HIM PEE NOW? I suspect he's plugged up.

103 degrees is normal.

holmestead · #17 07/26/11, 12:34 PM

Still no pee after watching him for a few hours this morning. If he does have stones I will have to put him down because I can't justify the vet bill for him. If it gets to that I only have a .22. Will that be sufficient from the back of the head or should I borrow a larger caliber rifle from a friend?

Alice In TX/MO · #18 07/26/11, 01:19 PM

That will work.

holmestead · #19 07/26/11, 02:25 PM

Just saw him pee!

Alice In TX/MO · #20 07/26/11, 03:54 PM

A lot? A dribble? Easily? Straining?