Goat Kidding Problem

DenMacII · #1 10/01/14, 04:29 PM

Hello All! I have a first time doe that has had triplets - although one was stillborn with dark yellow fluid in it's sack - and now for the past two, plus, hours the doe has not been able to pass the placenta - which looks a more like a lumpy mess of cranberry sauce (best description I can give)

We're getting worried that she is having a serious problem like a prolapsed uterus.

Please give any advice you might have - she's looking OK right now, but I know things can turn ugly in a hurry.

She will lie down and have a large portion of this blob out, but then she bawl, and stand back up with most of the blob going back in.

Thanks for any help you can give!

Dennis

CJBegins · #2 10/01/14, 05:10 PM

Have you bounced her to see if she has delivered all the babies. Stand over her, you facing her tail, wrap your hands under her belly lift and drop her belly and feel for a hard lump. That lump will be another kid. Otherwise she is continuing to have contractions to help expel the placenta. Give her some warm molasses water and she should be fine.

DenMacII · #3 10/01/14, 05:19 PM

Yeah, there's no more babies.

My wife and I were able to maneuver the uterus back in, and duct tape her back side closed. She has room to pee, but not much more.

She's acting tired, but is otherwise alert, drinking water with molasses, and interacting with her two kids.

We used Bentadine to clean the area as we worked, so hopefully she won't get any infection.

Any other thoughts on her care going forward, and signs to look for would be greatly appreciated.

Clovers_Clan · #4 10/01/14, 05:52 PM

A prolapsed uterus AND decaying stillborn puts her at a very high risk of metritis, she needs antibiotics. Although the duct tape is a practical fix for getting the uterus back in for now. It should not block the natural process of discharge drainage for long. You will need to retire or cull her long term as she probably can't safely carry kids. But with care she can finish raising the ones she's just had. There is a genetic disposition for prolapsed uterus, you may want to evaluate your breeding plans for her line.

Goat Servant · #5 10/02/14, 10:22 AM

How is she doing today?
Expelling of afterbirth can take a few hours or so. It sounds like that was what you were seeing, any pics?
Yes do take off the tape.

**mygoat** · #6 10/02/14, 11:54 AM

After 24hrs of not expelling afterbirth, I start antibiotics. It should slough off itself. A few hours is perfectly normal. I hope you didn't put the afterbirth back in and tape it in. A prolapsed vagina is not as common with goats as sheep, but it looks the same - perhaps a google image search will let you know if you're seeing a true prolapse.

DenMacII · #7 10/02/14, 04:01 PM

Things have not gone well overnight.

The uterus was able to get itself back out, and after an hour of trying this morning, we could not get it back in - between the swelling, and the cervix tightening up it was like trying to push jello into a balloon. We did treat her with 2cc of LA300. She is lethargic, but is eating and allows the kids to nurse.

Yes, we plan to cull her. She was a drop-off from friends who were in the process of moving and were not able to keep her. She is not registered, nor is her mother.

My hope at this point is to keep her comfortable, and so long as she is getting up, eating and nursing, allow her to feed her two kids these first couple days of her milk.

At this point, is it possible to remove the uterus and cotterize the cut? Like previously mentioned, we'd like to save her to nurse the kids for as long as possible.

Alice In TX/MO · #8 10/02/14, 04:46 PM

A vet might be able to do that, but not for a cost that is reasonable. You can't do that, no.

**mygoat** · #9 10/03/14, 01:30 PM

You have some options if it is a vaginal prolapse and not a uterine prolapse. Vaginal and Uterine prolapses are different (Vaginal being more common), and the treatment is a bit different.

http://www.nadis.org.uk/bulletins/la...-prolapse.aspx

There are prolapse spoons and harnesses that a local sheep farmer may have. A good small ruminant vet should be able to show you how to do a twine harness that you can often use for simple vaginal prolapse. There are harnesses you can make with baling twine only, or in addition to a prolapse spoon (plastic vaginal insert) that may work depending on severity. If that doesn't work, the vet can also replace the vagina and place stitches to hold everything in. That along with some anti inflammatories and antibiotics, she may make it. The longer it's out, the less chance she has though. Inflammation is constantly making this worse and worse. Pain and straining aren't helping either. If you can, haul her to the vet and they're less likely to charge you a boatload because there is no hourly fee/house call charge.

Clovers_Clan · #10 10/03/14, 02:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DenMacII

My hope at this point is to keep her comfortable, and so long as she is getting up, eating and nursing, allow her to feed her two kids these first couple days of her milk.

At this point, is it possible to remove the uterus and cotterize the cut? Like previously mentioned, we'd like to save her to nurse the kids for as long as possible.

I would call the vet right away to discuss options over the phone, to see what procedures/expenses you can rationalize. A wait-and-see approach will not work, she(and you) need help now. A few days milk does not warrant her suffering, so if you don't have the resources to save her, its best to know that ASAP and plan accordingly. If you do make the decision to put her down, milk out all the colostrum to save for the kids.

**mygoat** · #11 10/03/14, 02:29 PM

^^^ Completely and totally agree. You have several options, and one of them should not be 'wait and see'. It is extremely painful and due to straining, infection, and inflammation this is not something that gets better on it's own unless it's a mild self-resolving vaginal prolapse (even those are more likely to get worse instead of better, for the reasons I listed above). Kids only need colostrum for the first few feedings, at the very least I would milk her out for the colostrum and then put her down immediately. The 'wait and see' method almost never ever works for sheep and goat management.

DenMacII · #12 10/03/14, 05:40 PM

Thank you all for your input. We did put her down.

Her two kids will be bottle fed, and will be in with their grandma, and her two new doelings.

None of this was easy, and I appreciate the non-judgmental input received from everyone. We do not have quick, easy access to a vet, so we had to react with what resources we had available to us. The knowledge shared here is always so appreciated. Thank You!

Ford Zoo · #13 10/03/14, 05:57 PM

Sorry you lost our doe. It's never easy.

I would be hesitant to put those new kids in with another doe and her kids. The other doe most likely has not bonded with them like she has her own kids and may injure them. I would put them in a pen by themselves where they can be safe. Or bring them in the house the first few days so you can monitor them more closely.

Backfourty,MI. · #14 10/04/14, 10:29 AM

So sorry you had to put the doe down but it sounds like that was probably best.
I agree on not putting those 2 little bottle babies in with an adult doe & her kids. She could hurt them pretty bad or worse.
A separate pen, garage or house would be my first choices for bottle babies.
Best of luck to you.

**Goat Kidding Problem**

Goat Kidding Problem