blind newborn

One of my does (Nigerian dwarf) recently kidded with quads. One of the kids appears to be blind. (eyes are extremely foggy). My question is: Should I be doing anything different for the blind kid? She is defintely the runt but seems to have found Mom's milk. Also, mom has plenty of milk for all 4 kids.

Thanks

[Lt. Wombat]

The disabled are my weakness. As long as they have quality of life we keep them. But if they have zero quality they are culled. We just can't kill everything that isn't perfect like some folks do. But since this is a hobby business and not our only source of income we have that luxury.

[LuckyGRanch]

Here's the good news!! Chances are very good your kid isn't blind at all. It is probably a fairly common genetic abnormality called entropion. The eyelids are inverted (rolled in) causing an abrasion to the eye itself. If you're pretty good at doing procedures on your own animals, you could attempt to correct it yourself by stitching it or, a vet should be able to correct it easily. I've even read an article lately where someone uses superglue to correct it! Typically superglue will hold for 3-5 days which is just enough time for the eyelid to correct.


Kids with this should not be bred (unless you're willing to take the chance and know how to fix any defects that may be passed on) as it is a congenital condition and can be passed on though I don't know what the % of defects would be down the road.

Take a really good look at the eyelids and see if you are positive you can see all the way down to the pink skin beyond the eyelashes. I think you'll find that the eyelids roll under to run on the eye.

If you'd like more info and how to correct this yourself, you can PM me and I'll try and walk you through it step by step.

Good Luck....and I hope I'm right that your little one isn't blind (I'm guessing it isn't). True blindness is very rare!

[LuckyGRanch]

Here's a couple links for you to peek at:

Entropion - article about this disorder in dogs but, it's very informative!

Photos of Entropion in Sheep

An article with all sorts of things that can cause blindness in kids/goats

[Terri]

I took my dog to the vet when his eye turned foggy. The vet told me that in dogs, a foggy eye was often a sign of injury. The dogs eye cleared up when the corneal scratch healed.

I would re-read GrRanch's posting: sounds logical to me.

[LuckyGRanch]

Terri: Thanks for putting it that way - you are right! The fogginess is from the scratching that comes from the eyelashes since they are rolled in and rubbing on the eye!

Also, in really bad cases, you might consider using Gentamycin eye ointment for a few days after the condition has been corrected. It will help the fogginess go away quicker. I have always gotten mine from my vet but, you might be able to purchase it otc too.

Having had a couple cases of this, it's so much fun to watch the kids blossum as their sight improves and they can see! They go from standing in the corner and being afraid of every sound to tearing the place up!!

[bethlaf]

could also be chlamydia , transmitted by the mother to the goatling