Doe acting strange

mamahen · #1 04/01/05, 10:44 AM

My doe that kidded on March 29, started acting strange yesterday afternoon.

She started stomping & snorting, like bees were around her, this went on for about 10 minutes, now she still in stomping, & it seems like her legs/feet bother her. It seems like mostly her rear right, she's keeps itching it.

She acting stressed, also, breathing fast & trying to keep an eye on the kids (who are wandering all over).

I called 2 vets last night, the first one (also the one I called the night she was in labor

) said it sounded like mastitis, give her an asprin & milk her out. My MIL came & milked her out in seconds!! Said her udder was fine, not a sign of infection.

So I called a new vet about 35 miles away, she thinks Rosie is stressed about the babies. But after 2 days of being fine with them?

She said I may have to take the kids away & bottle feed. But Rosie is doing fine.

They are still nursing, full little bellies, and are happy & healthy. Both acting fine. Growing like little weeds.

Rosie is still eating, drinking, elimination fine, just seems to be on "pins & needles" and acting strange about her feet. Very touchy about them. She still lets the kids nurse, but they only nurse a few sec., then are wandering away. They nurse frequently tho.

So I guess my question is, Why would her feet be bothering her all of a sudden? What could be going on here? She seems so paranoid. I didn't get a temp yet, I have to get a therm.

Thanks, Tricia

MoBarger · #2 04/01/05, 10:48 AM

is she in a new locale? new hay? did you put lime down on the floor before putting her in there? have you checked her feet?

mamahen · #3 04/01/05, 11:02 AM

Well, I did put fresh straw down the day she kidded, but that was 3 days ago. Other than that, everything is still the same. I tried to check her foot this morning, & she promptly kicked me, & walked away.

She will let me feel her legs, just the feet seem to really be bothering her. They "look" ok when I was crawling on the ground trying to check them out with out touching them.

They could use a little trim, not too bad tho, I trimmed them right before she got pregnant & she's a slow grower.

mpillow · #4 04/01/05, 11:35 AM

Check to see if she has anything lodged in the hoof splay or poking the frog ....you may have to have a couple people help hold her. Any chance she got her foot caught in something and pulled and broke something or separated hoof part from leg (usually bleeds profusely) also check her dew claws...she could have hooked one of them....if you find anything yank it out and dip with iodine/peroxide

SilverVista · #5 04/01/05, 02:03 PM

It doesn't happen often, but sheep and goats can develop a form of founder after giving birth when blood levels of nutrients and minerals get out of whack. Most of the vet information on "founder" either talks about horses hooves being ruined, or sheep and goats dying of acidosis of the rumen. But one of the effects of founder in all cases is swelling of the interior of the foot, causing pain because the hoof wall keeps the swelling from having anywhere to go. I have a ewe that developed this problem after lambing this year, and sadly, I haven't found anything that has given her permanent relief. She acts as though she is walking on needles, and I am at the point of putting her down.

I'm always leery of giving meds advice because one can create problems giving veterinary advice without a license, but to start, you might give her something for the pain, and remove any "hot" feed from her diet -- high protein alfalfa, grain, etc. Then, consider getting professional advice soon because if there is constricted swelling of the feet, it gets less remedy-able with time -- which is the hard fact I learned after a week or so of playing doctor myself.

Susan

SilverVista · #6 04/01/05, 02:05 PM

Should have mentioned -- feel her feet, do they seem abnormally warm? That would be a sign.

Milking Mom · #7 04/02/05, 08:23 AM

If she is acting like something is biting her (flies) ,etc. maybe she has lice. Have you looked real close up under her hair. Did you worm her when she kidded? If not you can use Ivermectin and it will take care of both.

mamahen · #8 04/03/05, 03:43 PM

I called the vet after I looked up laminitis in the Merck manual. The symptoms & causes sounded like that is what Rosie has, (Predisposing causes include overeating or sudden access to concentrates, high-grain and low-roughage diets, or high-protein diets. Laminitis can also occur as a complication of acute infections such as mastitis, metritis, or pneumonia, especially after kidding.)

So, she replyed that it isn't seen in goats as much as horses. Yes, but it "could" happen in goats, so why not? Rosie just kidded, was on an all alfalfa pellet & 2 cups of grain a day. So maybe, too much protein & plus the stress of kidding? Sounds plausable, right?

She said she needed 3,000-4,000 mg of asprin a day. 10 tabs, twice a day. Does that sound right for a 60-70 lb goat? And how long would you give it? She just said to see if that helps. I started giving it last night, but I don't want her to bleed internally or ruin her stomach with too much, too long. She seems a little better, plus we got 6 inches of new snow, & I think that feels good to her (but not the blowing wind :no: )

Thanks for all the ideas & help so far!!

Tricia

mpillow · #9 04/03/05, 05:44 PM

Can you get some hay for her?

Do you have probios gel or yogurt? If yes give her a bunch... a few times a day

Some baking soda will help neutralize her rumen....

Loose salt....and sweet water to get her drinking alot to flush and make lots of milk for the kids

Feed hay before grain....it slows down digestion of high acid grain...

moonspinner · #10 04/04/05, 10:23 AM

If this doe has no other visible symptoms, first take her temp. I would not be giving any drug to this animal without some kind of at least educated diagnosis. I still think lice may be the first place to look. It is the prime time of year for an outbreak. They can be hard to spot. Have you seen any dandruff-like accumulation on that leg? If she seems otherwise healthy with no temperature and eating, drinking fine, I would douse her with some livestock pymethrin spray and see if it might well be mites and/or lice. However, if you do suspect laminitis, I would definitely have a vet check her out.