Lost one of my goats today....looking for answers

hjohnson3522 · #1 03/27/13, 10:15 AM

Today we lost our goat Frank... We have no idea what happened and we were looking for some answers as to what he could have died from! We do not want to loose any others. We are new to having goats only had them 8 months now... Frank had the fainting gene but you could tell that it bothered him.... he could be walking around and one leg would stiffen up, he also couldn't jump up on anything he always seemed to be the weaker of the three goats we have. Two days ago he didn't jump up when I went out there to check on them... once he finally did I kind of thought something was wrong he was walking slow and eating slow... then he went and laid back down! Yesterday morning my husband went out side and he didn't see Frank but could hear his weak cry! He wouldn't stand at all so he brought him inside....Once he brought him inside he just laid there slowly breathing eyes twitching and then his body almost like he was having a seizure.. this happened a couple time threw the day. He just laid there all day a few times it looked like he was trying to stand but just had no strength. We gave him and antibiotic shot some de-wormer again... which had had just given him some 9 days before! We got some baking soda in him and electrolyte water thinking it could have been his stomach because it was hard not bloated but hard! He has always been kind of skinny compared to the others but never seemed to bother him, we couldn't tell if he was dehydrated do to his thick winter coat! I then noticed something in his ear.... he had some white and yellow thick crusty stuff in there so I took a q-tip to try and get some out to thinking it was causing him to not hear well once I got some out there was a thick yellow wax or puss im not sure which. Also his skin was peeling in his ear... both ears were like this! He would be alert at time and would call for us I he was alone or just heard us....I looked at his eyes they were white a tiny bit of pale pink in the corner but or the most part white.....He passed this morning... If anyone has any idea what might have been wrong with him it would be greatly appreciated for the feedback! Thank you!

KrisD · #2 03/27/13, 10:30 AM

If the lower eye lids were white he was anemic. Either from worms or some kind of internal bleeding. Was he peeing ok? Possibly UC. Was he wormed? If so what did you use?

Hollowdweller · #3 03/27/13, 10:57 AM

What was his temperature?

hjohnson3522 · #4 03/27/13, 11:03 AM

I never did take his temp when we got him inside because I wasn't expecting him to make it as long as he did.... he never peed one time yesterday or pooped after we brought him in the house we had dewormed them last Sunday so we gave him so more when we brought him in yesterday.... I gave him safe-guard dewormer for goats.

BKB HOMESTEAD · #5 03/27/13, 11:11 AM

So sorry for you loosing your goat, our animals are very important to us!!

Copperhead · #6 03/27/13, 11:17 AM

Might want to look into Ivermectin as a dewormer. In much of the country, safe-guard is completely safe for worms

Keep reading the old posts on here and pay special attention to posts by Alice. You'll learn more than you can possible imagine!

KrisD · #7 03/27/13, 11:30 AM

Safeguard doesn't work at all. I would take a fecal sample from your goats (I get pellets from everyone and pool them all together) take to your local vet to see what worms you have so you know how bad the infestation is and what you need to use. If one has them they all usually do. Our vet only charges $25. For only a few goats I buy the apple flavored ivermectin paste horse wormer. It's about $4.

Make sure any boys you have are getting ammonium chloride to prevent urinary calculi.

If someone is feeling off always start by taking their temps, having a high temp tells us they have an infection. low temp tells us their rumen may be shutting down and they may not be digesting their food.

Oat Bucket Farm · #8 03/27/13, 11:31 AM

I would switch dewormers to Ivermectin or Cydectin. Since you have a small number, you can just get the Quest brand horse dewormer in the tube (in the green box not the blue). It is the same as Cydectin but much more economical for small herds.

Jyllie63 · #9 03/27/13, 03:49 PM

When you say he was twitching, was he making a sort of paddling move with his legs? I was thinking entertoxemia.

Definitely get a fecal on the other two..unfortunately the Safeguard isn't as effective as it used to be. I would definitely get the Quest...so easy to administer.

Alice In TX/MO · #10 03/27/13, 04:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hjohnson3522

....I looked at his eyes they were white a tiny bit of pale pink in the corner but or the most part white....

Severe anemia, as mentioned above. Not enough red blood cells to carry oxygen throughout his body. Couldn't walk due to not enough oxygen to his muscles for them to work. Seizure due to brain cells dying.

Backfourty,MI. · #11 03/27/13, 04:13 PM

I am so sorry you lost him. Does sound like he was severely anemic due to worms.

krisD is right, always take temp 1st thing to see if normal or not.
Agree also on the either Ivermectin or Cydectin(Quest Paste) for wormer choice.

Also if your goats have not been vaccinated with CD & T Toxoid then I would do that as soon as possible & then they need a booster 21 days later. They all get 2 cc no matter the size or age.

So many things to learn with goats but keep reading & asking questions.

Minelson · #12 03/27/13, 04:17 PM

I am so very sorry you lost him

Do you have no goat vets around? (((hugs))))

Sherry in Iowa · #13 03/27/13, 06:22 PM

Sure sorry you lost him.

hjohnson3522 · #14 03/27/13, 08:07 PM

Thank you everyone so much for the advice and support... I am definitely going to switch dewormers and get the other two tested! They are do for a vaccine so I will be sure to get the CD and T Toxoid.... also the booster to! Hard enough loosing one I DO NOT want to loose another!

beccachow · #15 03/27/13, 08:33 PM

Awww, hugs to you. Keep us posted about your other goatie buddies.

Astrid · #16 03/27/13, 09:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KrisD

Make sure any boys you have are getting ammonium chloride to prevent urinary calculi.

Great advice. I lost a wether to kidney stones a couple years ago. I was thinking this scenario kind of sounded like what we went through, particularly the hard abdomen.

PrettyPaisley · #17 03/27/13, 10:18 PM

I'm so sorry he's gone.

Hollowdweller · #18 03/28/13, 09:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Copperhead

Might want to look into Ivermectin as a dewormer. In much of the country, safe-guard is completely safe for worms

Keep reading the old posts on here and pay special attention to posts by Alice. You'll learn more than you can possible imagine!

Not true. I live in WV and I use Fenbenzadole all the time and it works.

Remember that you have to use a higher does of Fenbenzadole on goats than you do in sheep, horses or cattle, but Fenbenzadole is better than Ivermectin for lungworms or tapeworms.

Ivermectin is better for deer worm and a lot of the blood suckers, and you are way better off to give Ivermectin Sub Q than oral. It is very poorly absorbed by the digestive tract in goats and you have to use a way higher dose orally than Sub Q.

Alice In TX/MO · #19 03/28/13, 10:48 AM

According to Sheep and Goat Medicine, the veterinary college textbook, edited by Dr. David Pugh, ALL goat dewormers are given orally.

http://www.amazon.com/Sheep-Goat-Med.../dp/1437723535

One of the reasons that goat dewormers are given orally rather than by injection is that injected meds linger in the body longer at a diminishing level, creating more immunity in the worms.

Alice In TX/MO · #20 03/28/13, 10:49 AM

I use Safeguard for tapewoms in kids and keep it on hand as it is part of the protocol for meningeal worms. Other than that, it's not effective in my area.