[motdaugrnds]

I have been raising large Nubians since 1996 and initially sought the services of local vets until I discovered my goats were better off without them.

Then I started watching and listening to my goats, learning more from them about how to treat any "off" symptoms; and I've lost only a few, i.e. milk fever (with quads) & ketoses. When I learned more about feeding grain, I stopped losing goats altogether.

However, there are those occasions when a goat is "off" and I have no idea why. Fecals ok yet she isn't eating and is losing weight. C.M.P.K. usually fixed this situation up.

Now I have a 5 yr old "smaller" doe who gave birth to 2 healthy kids, nursed them well and they are in good shape. I got over a gallon of milk a day from her until I didn't have the time to continue the milking regime; so slowed her down and within 6 weeks stopped milking her altogether. Her udder is in good shape, nice and soft and empty. Yet, every single year this is the doe who needs the C.M.P.K. and extra attention as she will stop grazing with the others (No signs of lice.) and stay off to herself more often than not. This year she stopped eating grain (All goats stopped eating the alfalfa pellets.) and started losing weight. She, also, showed signs of being weak in her back legs. (I gave her some Bo-Se...1cc/40 lbs... but could not tell it helped that much.) I gave her Cydectin and 10 days later followed that with Ivermectin Plus. I also started giving her 5 cc of B1 (thiamine 100mg strength) every 4-6 hrs; and when I ran out of B1, I gave her 5cc of "High Potency B-complex" every 4-6 hrs along with some home made" C.M.P.K. (I've also been giving her large globs of Probios Paste to help her rumen.)

I can tell she's startng to gain weight yet she is still weak in her legs (including her front legs) and now she has a cough; and I can hear bubbling in her neck. I thought it might be lung worms so I gave her 10 cc of NA-200, but that emptied that bottle. I waited 24 hrs and started her on Pen-G (10cc first dose, then 5cc every 12 hours of that for 4 times). Now I'm out of Pen-G too. (I still have a little Nexel, but not sure it would be helpful and have been saving that for an occasion should one of my does have a bad case of mastitis, as it helps cross into the udder.)

I'm tempted to call the newest vet to the vicinity, yet have an idea it would run me over $500 and still my doe might not survive. (As the man from the health department once told me, "I can kill them myself for less than that.") So, I'm stumped as I really don't have hundreds I can spend at this time.

So, do any of you know of a book or internet course (not that "Goat Medicine" as I have it already and it is just too complicated for me) that would give me some basic knowledge about meds for goats. I know quite a bit; but obviously don't know enough; and I figured if I had caught this particular doe's problems sooner, she may be better off than she is now.

 

[dozedotz]

Have no recommendation as to books or courses. I am a firm believer in "throw the kitchen sink" at them and admit to total panic when one of our goats acts even a little bit off...so take that into consideration. My next move would be Nuflor.

 

[motdaugrnds]

Dosedotz, what is that "Nuflor" used for in goats?

 

[marusempai]

Nuflor is an antibiotic - it is pretty much the "nuclear option" from what I understand, but also is GREAT for treating pneumonia, because it naturally builds up in the lungs.

When Emerald had pneumonia, it cleared her up in one does. The milk withholding on it is really long though.

 

[fffarmergirl]

We don't even have any vets in our area that do goats. I'm trying to figure out how I can get prescriptions for things like "Bo-Se". I was thinking about talking to the horse vet - maybe get her out her to draw some blood to finally test for diseases just to get established so I can get stuff when I need it.

I chuckled when you said "I could kill them myself for less than that." That goes for doctors too.

 

[motdaugrnds]

Thanks marusempai, I googled it. It does require a Rx. And apparently it is very strong and stings/burns the goat.

fffarmergirl, you can get Selenium in Replamin "Plus" too. I believe it is .39 mg per 5cc; however, it also contains some copper, so some caution needs to be had here. (I like it because it has much of all other vitamines our goats need and does not require a Rx to purchase.)

 

[marusempai]

Thanks marusempai, I googled it. It does require a Rx. And apparently it is very strong and stings/burns the goat.

Boy howdy does it, you should have heard Emerald scream. It does work really well though.

 

[Clovers_Clan]

Here are a few of my favorites. Not a course but good resources to dig through...

http://fiascofarm.com/goats/

http://www.merckmanuals.com/vet/man...teraction_goats/common_diseases_of_goats.html

http://www.tennesseemeatgoats.com/articles2/articlesMain.html

http://www.ansc.purdue.edu/goat/

 

[fffarmergirl]

fffarmergirl, you can get Selenium in Replamin "Plus" too. I believe it is .39 mg per 5cc; however, it also contains some copper, so some caution needs to be had here. (I like it because it has much of all other vitamines our goats need and does not require a Rx to purchase.)

Thanks for the information! I've heard you're supposed to give them the bo-se before they get bred and before they kid. Would it be OK do do that with the replamin? I've never "copper bolused" either.

There is so much to know about goats it gets my head spinning.

 

[marusempai]

I thought you only give them Bo-Se before they kid?

Copper bolusing is not fun but it is not hard either. If *I* could manage it, anybody can.

 

[motdaugrnds]

Please know a goat only needs the selenium supplement if the area where they're housed is selenium deficient...same with copper. Consult your local agricultural agent to find out if your area is deficient.

My areais deficient in selenium and it is not deficient in copper. (My goats showed signs of copper deficiency only after I had started feeding them BOSS (black oil sunflower seed). I coppered them and cut out the BOSS. That was over a year ago and they have not showed any signs of copper deficiency since. (Again, your local ag agent can tell you if your area is deficient in these.)

When I do give my goats Bo-Se it is less than what I had been giving because I use the Replamin Plus. This means I do not give the 1cc/40 lbs as is suggested for Bo-Se. Instead, I give them Replamin Plus weekly for 4-5 weeks, none for a couple of weeks, then start over again; and I half the dosage for Bo-Se when I give it (only 2-3 times a year, depending on how my goats look). I can tell when my goats are low on selenium because their hair starts getting thin; one shot of Bo-Se stops this. (Of course I also check for lice too, using DE for such if suspected.)

The supplements are important to use in the last stage of a doe's pregnancy so it will get into the milk for the kids.

Also, when I did copper bolus my goats, I poured that copper out of the boluses, mixed it with some molasses and poured it over their grain...easy.

Clovers, those are some great links. Thank you.

 

[fffarmergirl]

Oh, I gotcha. Duh! I don't think we need to do either the Replamin or the Bo-Se, because we have selenium mixed into our feed and judging by all the old copper mines around here they don't need copper

 

[motdaugrnds]

fffarmergirl, I use to feed a grain that had selenium (with vit E) mixed into it too. Since my area is deficient in selenium, that little bit in the grain was not enough. I still needed to supplement. So talk with your local agent and find out for sure if your area is deficient in selenium.

 

[dozedotz]

How are things going? Any improvement?

 

[motdaugrnds]

Dosedotz, thanks for asking. I'm still quite concerned about her. This morning as she was eating the shredded beet pulp and steam-rolled oats, she choked and threw up what looked like a foam. I immediately thought of poison; so I rushed in and prepared her some activated charcoal. (Then I started wondering if she is having problems bringing up her cud to rechew.) I then called the newest vet in this area thinking I would ask her to come over and look this goat over. (If I found out it would be too costly to treat her, I would simply have to decline and it would only cost me her time and a trip call.) I had just given this doe the last of the Pen G I had and some home made C.M.P.K. so I decided to not give her anything else until the vet showed up. However, here it is after 11 pm and that vet has not called. The doe is still alive, still weak in all 4 legs and still too thin. (I did offer her some more shredded beet pulp and oats and she did eat some. I also gave her a big glob of Probios Paste; however, that is all I've done.) I don't know what condition I'll find her in tomorrow. It may be that I will need to put her out of her misery.

 

[fffarmergirl]

I hope she's ok this morning.

 

[wintrrwolf]

So you are giving the antibiotics for the secondary issue(pneumonia) caused by her having lungworms? What have you given to treat the lungworms?
I give Replamin plus on a monthly basis during summer and fall and weekly during winter and spring it is awesome I haven't had to treat for deficiencies since I started giving it, I do leave out a loose goat mineral too.
I would continue the B12 complex and probios, treat for lungworms and other parasites while your at it, continue antibiotics for pnuemonia.

 

[motdaugrnds]

I do appreciate the information you have all given. I actually thought she was getting better for awhile because I saw her chewing cud and she was gaining weight slightly. However, yesterday she was gazing at the stars more prominently and was extremely weak in her legs.

When the couple came this morning to help me with slaughtering the 8 month old kids I had been fattening for the freezer, I asked him to shoot my precious doe so she could stop sufferring. This was a painful thing for me, especially since I had bottle fed this doe from birth and she was a pet. I've cried off and on all day about it and doubt the pain will go away anytime soon.

 

[fffarmergirl]

OH I'm so sorry you had to do that. That's so sad. You really gave it your best and she had a good home and lots of love.

 

[VA Susan]

Glad she had a good life and lots of love while she was with you. Sorry for your sad loss.