? Early labour

Aussiemum · #1 08/18/13, 07:53 AM

Mumma goat (Saanen x Boer) mated April (to full Boer) & is due September. ( this is her 3rd pregnancy: The last time she mated she had 2 healthy twin kids on time & her first kidding was a single just before we got her. ) this was a new mating "partner" to freshen for milking & meat kids.

Today is day 117 and she has stayed in her stall, she has some watery jelly coming out her birth canal & some diarrhoea that is really dark doted about her stall in patches that are about the size of a saucer. She was squatting like pushing to do a wee -to do drops of poop & bright streaks of blood -they seemed Mixed with the clear jelly. I washed off her rump, tail & legs & the jelly is definately coming out of the birth canal.
She was out grazing yesterday & happy, she has hammered wheat & lucerne in her stall. she will get up and walk around but if I let her off her lead she goes back to her stall & scratches a bit and lies down.
Our vet on call is a small animal (dog & cat) locum & says he hasn't a lot to do with goats

I have some penicillin & gentamycin on hand but am reluctant/unsure as she is pregnant & I can feel good kid movements on one side of her abdomen & not really anything on the other but I don't really know how the kid/s lie or if there is more than one.

What does everyone think???

Alice In TX/MO · #2 08/18/13, 08:25 AM

I'd take her to the vet.

Aussiemum · #3 08/18/13, 09:03 AM

We only have an on call locum who isn't coming out because he isn't experienced with goats - says he can euthunaise her but past that call local farmers & ask them- no help at all especially on a weekend
The pooping has stopped & she is lying down (with her head up) she seems bright & interested in me when I go out to check on her she looks to me & has a pat, but I'm still worried about her.

wintrrwolf · #4 08/18/13, 10:53 AM

ANY chance she might have been bred earlier?
35 day early would not be good, can hope that she got bred before that??
35 days is a long time to try to stop contractions.
Rumen is on one side babies on the other if I remember right.
Sounds to me like you don't have any help there so best to get prepared for the worst and hope for the best. She starts contractions have kidding kit ready, be prepared to help her out and be prepared to offer cpr if kids don't breath on their own at first, towels to dry off and clear mucus from face, gloves or scrub up be prepared in case you need to go in and reposition a kid.
If she is going to do this try to be as ready as possible. I think we have a spot here what you might need in a kidding kit....

Aussiemum · #5 08/21/13, 02:26 AM

Thank you, I have my kidding kit ready but she isn't doing anything, I can't figure out what is going on, she wants to stay in her pen, she comes out wanders around & goes a back, she has diarrhoea - I have given her a goat mineral salt block which she has really liked. She is eating the oaten hay & some wheat & yesterday I added some all purpose pellets (just a cup) to see if that would help.
The straining seems to have stopped but the poop is just running out of her. She walks on her lead & stands for a pat but she is just not herself & I'm worried about the effect of the diarrhoea on her & the baby/s health- I can still feel movement in there so that is reassuring.

Alice In TX/MO · #6 08/21/13, 06:56 AM

Diarrhea means she either has coccidia, worms, has eaten something toxic, or has something else going wrong. Get a fecal test done or start treating her for these things.

Give her something for the diarrhea. We use PeptoBismol. Pink human med. Liquid.

Give her one of the meds for coccidia. http://www.dairygoatinfo.com/f28/dif...s-doses-21499/

Poop running out of her means she could die from dehydration, a damaged gut, starvation.

Please take action!

**mygoat** · #7 08/21/13, 08:38 AM

In an adult doe, I highly doubt coccidia. It should not affect adults, only youngsters with no immune system. Adults inherently have a high load, but they are non symptomatic - but shed them into the environment where their kids then pick them up.

But, worms in a preggo doe is not uncommon. If you can't get a fecal done, I'd definetely deworm and give something for the diarrhea. Deworming alone may fix the problem.

You can also find a large animal vet and CALL them for advice.

Other than keeping her calm, fed, and watered I don't know there is much to do except watch her for worsening. If a bad odor starts coming out of her vulva and if she spikes a fever and starts acting sick, she probably lost the kids and needs to e cleaned out. A shot of 2ml Lutelyse given IM will cause her to go through labor early and get rid of any dead kids.

Otherwise, I'd leave her mostly alone and hope for the best. She could be midly depressed due to the diarrhea.

Alice In TX/MO · #8 08/21/13, 08:46 AM

Yes, I know it's uncommon, but in this situation, I'd be covering all the bases.

(Not confrontational, just my thoughts. I'm going to be wary of being too direct for a while.)

**mygoat** · #9 08/21/13, 03:20 PM

To each their own. Me, I'd have to be REALLY sure it's coccidia to treat an adult for it, but in an adult with diarrhea it never even crosses my mind as a possibility - if I did a fecal and that was the only thing of concern or if I did a necropsy and that was the only thing of concern, then I'd be convinced I had coccidia in an adult. Sure, I'd treat an adult with dimethox or baycox - Then I'd retreat an adult that gets coccidia with 'trailermycin' right to the meat man just as soon as her kids are old enough to head to market with her. I'd not want any progeny from an adult that is affected by coccidia as it would have to have a VERY VERY poor immune system or some sort of very severe illness/immunodeficiency issue... I don't want that breeding in to my group.

Goat Servant · #10 08/21/13, 05:06 PM

Is the blood in her poo or from her vulva? The latter means she may be aborting.

Aussiemum · #11 08/22/13, 07:53 AM

The blood was in Her poo, but she had thick mucousy strings hanging from her vul a like she had after she kidded last time- that has stopped & I have kept her inher stall with oaten hay/a little wheat & a cup of all purpose pellets & ACV in her water. Today she has had almost 15 litres of water and is looking brighter, poop has slowed right down & looks more like dog poop now.

JBarGFarmKeeper · #12 08/22/13, 08:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mygoat

To each their own. Me, I'd have to be REALLY sure it's coccidia to treat an adult for it, but in an adult with diarrhea it never even crosses my mind as a possibility - if I did a fecal and that was the only thing of concern or if I did a necropsy and that was the only thing of concern, then I'd be convinced I had coccidia in an adult. Sure, I'd treat an adult with dimethox or baycox - Then I'd retreat an adult that gets coccidia with 'trailermycin' right to the meat man just as soon as her kids are old enough to head to market with her. I'd not want any progeny from an adult that is affected by coccidia as it would have to have a VERY VERY poor immune system or some sort of very severe illness/immunodeficiency issue... I don't want that breeding in to my group.

Ok, Mygoat, I get what you are saying but...

A year and a half ago, my son's Nubian doe went down with the brown, mucousy runs and I took a sample to the vet and he told me "Cocci". (This is the same vet that told me "parasites" on a different same I took in at the same time. When I asked, "which ones?", he told me that I would have to send it to the MU lab in Columbia to get that info because no vet could REALLY tell you that or they were lying. I laughed in his face. Paid the bill and NEVER went back.) But the Nubian doe was ONLY treated with Baycox. She cleared up, got up and has never had another issue. She is probably the easiest-keeper (or close to it), never has copper issues, always sleeks off, beautiful glossy BLACK coat.

I'm just saying, I don't know if I would be so quick to judge with the "trailer".

Just my experience...

Aussiemum · #13 09/17/13, 07:48 PM

WE ARE BIRTHING TODAY!! We made it (EDD is Friday)
She is engorged & swollen & began bleating softly to the baby, the ligaments are gone, I can feel good strong kid movements (so can she poor darling!!!)

CJBegins · #14 09/17/13, 08:09 PM

Exciting! Can't wait for pictures. How has her health been? Did you ever figure out what was happening a while back?

Minelson · #15 09/17/13, 10:36 PM

Yay! Sending you happy, healthy kidding vibes

Aussiemum · #16 09/17/13, 10:53 PM

I think she was licking the sludge off the back of the chicken coop run off

there was a mix of poop & sludgy layer pellets and other assorted gross stuff- Shd normally can't get in that part of the yard but as soon as she got better she made a bee line for the same thing! A quick temporary fence and no more problems - I was so worried we would lose her &/or the kid

Aussiemum · #17 09/17/13, 10:57 PM

Their here!!!! 3 lil kids. 2 boys then a lil girl just amazing the first one took ages it was the biggest boy & was bum & feet first

& then the next boy came quickly after & then a few minutes and surprise a lil girl!!!
What an amazing morning!!!

Aussiemum · #18 09/17/13, 10:58 PM

What a clever Mumma Goat

CJBegins · #19 09/18/13, 01:03 AM

How cute!

Minelson · #20 09/18/13, 06:20 AM

Oh my!! They are adorable! Congrats to you and mama goat...she looks very happy