Rudy is sick

Squeaky McMurdo · #1 11/04/14, 09:34 AM

My poor Rudy is sick

There is a play by play in this thread but I started this one so more people that might be able to answer my questions and offer advice can see it.

People suck

Today he isn't doing so good. He is alert and noisy once more but can no longer get up on his own or walk, isn't really interested in eating, and has dog poop looking stool. When this started on Saturday he could get up from a normal laying down position, follow me fairly quickly, he was eating, and his stool was normal, but he was kind of a space cadet.

He is a 11 month old mini Nubian. I picked up B complex yesterday. How much should I be giving him? The bottle says 5ml for calves, sheep, and goats and to repeat 2x daily if desired. I don't know how much he weighs, but I can still lift him fairly easily so maybe 50+ pounds? He doesn't have any fat around his spine like my mini Nubian doeling that is a month younger, so I wormed him yesterday and again today with ivermectin paste.

He won't drink from the bucket but he was nibbling my fingers so I gave him a bottle of warm water and he drank it all. I'm wondering what I can put in a bottle to keep some nourishment in him until he starts eating again?

#2 11/04/14, 09:52 AM

Will be watching this thread as I have a 6 month old kid displaying the same. In all of my years of raising goats this is my first experience with this. Could be my first experience ever with G6S but without testing yet cannot say definitively. The kid was born smaller than I have experienced before and has never seemed to grow right. Full wether sibling is twice the size. She appeared overall healthy all along except for small in size. Eyelids have always had good color and still do. I even dewormed her as a kid with Moxy and fecals always came back clean or in very low range. Never did play with the other kids though and would always graze off alone but come running to people.

Could also be WMD. If that is the case, I have given BoSe IM.

My kid is still eating voraciously as always but as of this morning lost control of legs and can't stand. Still sits upright, is vocal and alert. Drinking and only a slight temp. Yesterday she seemed a bit off and was slow moving and noise just sounded weaker.

As much as I enjoy my goats, am getting tired. Seems like there is always a curve waiting to happen.

Squeaky McMurdo · #3 11/04/14, 11:15 AM

He is now in my house by the fire. I thought my garage would be warmer but it was not. His temp was scary low and I'm wondering how the heck he was even still conscious. It was 91.56 :O it is up to 95.51 now and climbing. He's enjoying the fire. Lol

Litlbits · #4 11/04/14, 11:25 AM

Poor sweet baby, sure hope he recovers.

Squeaky McMurdo · #5 11/04/14, 11:34 AM

Me too. He's probably the only stinky buck my husband will ever like enough to let me bring indoors.

nehimama · #6 11/04/14, 12:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Squeaky McMurdo

He is now in my house by the fire. I thought my garage would be warmer but it was not. His temp was scary low and I'm wondering how the heck he was even still conscious. It was 91.56 :O it is up to 95.51 now and climbing. He's enjoying the fire. Lol

Hi SM,

I had typed a lengthy response but it disappeared.

My doe kid had the same posture as yours in the photo. At 10:00 this morning I gave 1cc BoSe IM and 4cc red cell orally. At 12:00 I gave 2cc Vit C inj IM. 1 hour later she is walking and grazing on her own. I will give another 2cc Vit C tonight. I have seen Vit C work wonders in the past so fingers crossed.

Wishing you the best with yours.

Squeaky McMurdo · #7 11/04/14, 01:26 PM

Interesting. Do you think oral vitamin c will work? It just so happens that Rudy's favorite treat in the whole wide world is grapefruit and it also just so happens that I have 2 entire bags of grapefruit flavored vitamin c drops because I'm getting a cold and that Rudy would probably love to snatch one from me. I think he was mostly indignant about having his temperature taken right before I took a picture of him. He's pretty perky, just hasn't been able to get up on his own today. I just helped him up and he wanted to nibble my ear so he too a tentative step....he also peed that lovely buck perfume. Thanks for that Rudy.

His eyelids were paper this morning so now my local friend and I are thinking anemia and I'm treating for barberpoles to be safe. Gave him one of my iron pills left over from pregnancy.

It's been an hour or two since I last took his temperature. It was 99 something and he took some nibbles of some loose leaf tea I offered him but not a lot. I read that tannins can help in the battle against worms so I plan to give him some concentrated tea later today.

Going to go find a heater for the garage

#8 11/04/14, 01:41 PM

Some type of vit c chewables would not hurt. I'm not sure if the drops you mention are like hard cough drops. The tums would work. The injectable works faster but it is vet px only. If he'll eat some type of vit c I would try it. I did forget to mention I also gave her a banana, her favorite treat, peel and all. She's not out of the woods but has shown much improvement with just what I did today.

red cell works well for anemia if the eyelids are pale. Tractor supply or a local feed store should carry that. It has worked for me several times when dealing with BBPW.

The BoSe injection could also be helping my kid out now.

Clovers_Clan · #9 11/04/14, 04:14 PM

Have you checked for rumen sounds? If his temperature is low, concentrate on getting it up before feeding him. Give lots of probiotics to keep his rumen flora going. BoSe and the Vit B C & E can't hurt. But unless you think he needs antibiotics for infection I'd hold off on any harsh meds and the Red Cell. And just enough milk or good greens to settle. Once the Ivermectin and dead worms pass hopefully his rumen will start recuperating. Hope he pulls through for you.

Chief Cook · #10 11/04/14, 05:06 PM

Poor baby, sure hope you can get him through this. Davstep, hope your little one gets well very soon, also.

Squeaky McMurdo · #11 11/04/14, 05:54 PM

His temp is up and he was munching on hay when I went to check on him. I didn't offer him food until it was over 99 and then he gobbled a vitamin c lozenge. I went and picked up some chewable. Local feed store doesn't carry red cell.

Clovers_Clan · #12 11/05/14, 06:52 AM

If you can't get Red Cell, Geritol works great in a pinch and they love the taste.

#13 11/05/14, 08:04 AM

Thanks ChiefCook for the thoughts.

Hope SM's boy is OK. Not wanting to hijack her thread.

My doe was able to stand on her own this morning, walk around and over things, eating readily still. Seems to be tracking in the right direction.

Squeaky McMurdo · #14 11/05/14, 08:15 AM

I am sooooo confused! He was looking better last night at midnight. His temp was 101.4 and had stayed there consistently after I got him warmed up yesterday. When I went out at 3 he couldn't lift his head! His temp was 101.56. I brought him inside again by the fire regardless. He will only mouth hay but he still wanted a bottle so I gave him a 9 oz bottle of tea and 13 oz of milk and he became alert again. Stayed that way until my husband got up and his temp was 102. Now his head is flopped over again, he's panting, and acting like he had a stroke! I was sitting next to him and he went from alert and trying nibble my fingers to this in the time it took for my husband to walk outside and turn on his truck! What on earth is going on? Did my warm fire give him heat stroke? What is a goat's normal temperature anyway?

Squeaky McMurdo · #15 11/05/14, 08:52 AM

Also now in this floppy state he suddenly has his appetite back and face planted in some alfalfa pellets and began eating. I'm befuddled

redgate · #16 11/05/14, 09:08 AM

I would be dosing him on some serious vitamin C, and if you can get hold of some dolomite, add that too. It's my go too for any mystery illness. Vitamin C will boost the immune system for anything, but it also helps the liver to process out toxins that may be present, in the event he was fed something Halloween night. Dolomite helps replinish some of the much needed minerals that can be depleted during such a situation. Both are harmless if he isn't poisoned, but very beneficial if he is. It could be too late if the digestive system is shutting down, but it's always worth a shot! I get vitamin c powder by the jug. Most health type stores will carry it. Here's what I use: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0013OUMVO/...ords=vitamin+c
For his size, I would give about 1 tsp every few hours until well.

I would also try to get hold of some kelp, and offer it free choice. If there is any deficiency, that will help boost it, and the kelp is a lot more complete, more digestible, and easier to absorb that many commercial minerals.

If the rumen sounds have stopped, I had a doe with similar symptoms after kidding one year. The vet said stress (in her case,triplets and one a breech still birth) can cause the rumen to just stop working. There was no official diagnosis. He pumped her full of oil and gave an injection of exceed, and about 2-3 days later, she came around and was back to normal.

Hoping for the best!!

Squeaky McMurdo · #17 11/05/14, 12:09 PM

My husband just put him down

His pupils were dilated and he couldn't even move on his own. All he could do was cry. I don't know what happened. This was him yesterday. I thought he was getting better. His eyelids were paler than Saturday but still fairly pink up to the very end. I'm so depressed. It was bad enough I was going to have to leave him and my other favorite in the care of my brother-in-law temporarily (husband joined the union and we don't know where they'll send us and will have to move on short notice.) Please send a massive amount of prayers that one or all of my does took and that they will all have uneventful kiddings with lots of healthy babies to choose from.

Should I give my surviving goats another thiamine shot? I gave them all one yesterday. Is there anything else I should give them?

GoatGirl123 · #18 11/05/14, 12:14 PM

That's so sad.

I sure hope it wasn't the people who pranked you on Halloween, because they're absolutely heartless. I hope the get caught someday!

So sorry for your loss.

Squeaky McMurdo · #19 11/05/14, 12:30 PM

Yah

and because we don't know if he was poisoned we can't even use the meat. I way underestimated it, probably because he was helping me carry him by walking as best he could. I weighed him out of curiosity and he was 112 pounds. I probably would have cried eating his meat, but I think it hurts even more that he has to go to waste.

GoatGirl123 · #20 11/05/14, 12:45 PM

He didn't go to waste! He was so important to you, and you loved him, and that's enough. He had a good life and you did what was best by making sure he wasn't suffering. You wouldn't want a family member to be eaten, would you? I don't see it very much differently. (Hugs)