uterine inertia

chma4 · #1 03/08/13, 08:41 AM

So obviously, with a nearly nine year old nigerian dwarf pregnant and as round as a whiskey barrel, I am worried about uterine inertia. How will I know if she has UI? What do I watch for? Is there anything I can do to decrease the possibility of it happening? What do i do if it happens? I am concerned. I have never been able to get a whole had inside of a Nigerian (I have large hands). I am getting more nervous the bigger she continues to get....Any advice?

**mygoat** · #2 03/08/13, 09:13 AM

I've never heard of UI in goats, though I suppose it's possible. They should show the signs of kidding - nesting, yawning, licking, talking to kids, gooing from the vulva, wandering, going off alone etc. Check ligaments, too.

Generally a doe will stop labor only if a kid is mispresented and she can't move it. I've never had a doe not push at all, even if a kid is mispresented. I can always be sure there's another in there, or if I wait long enough and no progress, I usually go in with a finger to find hooves. If hooves are pointing down, it's breech and I usually just pull because those can't spend a lot of time in the canal. If there are hooves but no head, that's when you gotta go 'fishing', cup the nose and drag it around. If there's one hoof and a head, usually the doe can still push that out.

Are your hands bigger than a nigerian kid? If not, you can make it in. If they can birth huge singles, even if she has small multiples in there, your hands should fit. May not be that comfortable but you'd really have to have HUGE hands to not fit. Make hands as small as possible by holding all fingers and thumb in a 'point' - use lube too. Anybody around that has a bit smaller hands?

chma4 · #3 03/08/13, 09:41 AM

One time I had my 8 year old daughter go in, because she was the only one of us who could get all the way in. It was traumatic for her as the kids were dead and yucky. That was a smaller, more narrow doe though.
I have never even seen this doe deliver, since her first kidding 8 years ago. She is elusive, secretive, and fast. I am however really concerned about that this time, as I fear with as big as she is, that some of the kids will need help. I really want to monitor this kidding. I went out today with my 48" measuring tape, and it did not make it around her girth. She is likely more like 55" around. I gave her some CMPK in warm sugar water, and checked on her.
She still has ligaments....

punchiepal · #4 03/08/13, 11:24 AM

If you have a sure breeding date you might want to consider using lute. Since the usually kid between 36-40 hrs after the shot you would have a better idea of when to expect her to deliver.

yarrow · #5 03/08/13, 01:37 PM

With Carla her inertia was complete.. NOTHING.. never a contraction at all (couldn't even MAKE her have one.. with my hand inside I tried to get the walls of her uterus to tighten.. nothing.. (Carla is one of my does that everyone always thinks is heavy bred.. even other goat folks who know what a pregnant goat looks like)..so that may have something to do with her being the one having issues.. I wouldn't really worry about inertia with you gal.. BUT.. I too would second/third the lute if you have a firm date (I give 2cc's lute & 5 cc dex .. if ALL IS GOING WELL, kids will usually arrive between 30 and 33 hours.. we start hitting 34 hours and no kids.. I start suspecting issues and do a cervical check for dilation progress... I know it's all scary.. but seriously most older gals will be just fine... I mostly told about Carla's issues, just so everyone was aware that such a thing can and does happen sometimes..
good luck
susie, mo ozarks

Hollowdweller · #6 03/08/13, 02:06 PM

The only time I've encountered does not really pushing was not enough calcium or selenium.

yarrow · #7 03/08/13, 02:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hollowdweller

The only time I've encountered does not really pushing was not enough calcium or selenium.

and those are the NORMAL reasons..both easy fixes (both herd management issues)
this was a totally different thing.. it was not pushing.. it was her uterus totally doing nothing.. if I hadn't luted her and gotten her cervix open via the drugs.. she would NEVER have gone into labor, never had the kids and would have died.. if she had not been a big roomy doe. we would have had to have done a c-section to save her and the baby/babies .. I was a full time dog person for years upon years.. Uterine inertia is much better known/documented in dogs.. hence having seen it in them, client dogs.. older, chubby gals.. all ended in c-sections and most in emergency spays -due to bleeding afterwards from the uterus not contracting back down.. we massaged and massaged Carla's until we manually got it to tighten..

susie, mo ozarks

chma4 · #8 03/08/13, 02:21 PM

I have given her selenium and calcium. I am sure about her dates. If she doesn't go by the 15th, 150 days we will get the lute and dex.

punchiepal · #9 03/08/13, 05:44 PM

I would (am considering for mine. Lute in fridge) consider counting back about 36 hrs from when you would like her to kid on the 15th and give lute then. If you wait till the 15th you "may" have to wait 36 more hours after you give the shot to get her kidding.

chma4 · #10 03/08/13, 06:28 PM

I am just not sure mum vet will give me lute. He is kinda difficult that way. I have dex.

yarrow · #11 03/08/13, 06:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chma4

I am just not sure mum vet will give me lute. He is kinda difficult that way. I have dex.

it may be time to do some vet shopping.. find one that does cattle.. they won't even blink at a request for Lutalyse..

susie, mo ozarks

chma4 · #12 03/08/13, 08:09 PM

My vet is the ONLY vet that will even see large animals. He is THE large animal vet. I just think he thinks everyone who owns animals smaller than cows and horses are incompetent. I will try but he got angry that I was able to obtain selenium. I don't know how lute will go over.