Hi everyone, We have a boer mix goat that just gave birth to 2 babies about a month ago. We were at work and the kids were still in their sack, dead of course, when we got home. The mom looked rough, a few days before the birth she had been sick and couldn't stand up. We gave her Nutri Drench and stood her up several times a day, she never lost her appetite. She appeared to be better then when she had her babies she seemed sick again. The babies looked perfect and were good size. I don't know if she was too sick to help them or if they were born dead and she knew it. This has never happened to us before. We wormed her the next morning and then 21 days later, with Valbezen. Her neck or lower jaw is swollen and she still looks poorly, but she is walking around and eating fine. Does anyone have a suggestion as to what is wrong? Mary
Sorry you lost the kids. Was this her first kidding? I do have one goat who simply does not tend her babies. I have to just hope I'll be there. Her not feeling well might have contributed if that was the case. The only time I have had a goat with swelling in the jaw or neck, it has been from worms. Since you've just wormed, I realize that is no help. mary
Swelling in the jaw areas can be caused by severe aniemia. I think I would give this goat a course of Red Cell horse vitamins. For my 120 lb. doe I give around 5ccs for ten days or so. They really hate them of course so they end up getting them shoved down with a syringe. Hope everything gets better for you. I had a set of twins born last year we would have lost if my daughter hadn't been there. The sacs were too thick and didn't break during the birth proccess like normal and she told me they were very difficult to open. Jill
I've talked with a number of people from texas, tennesee, and one in missippi that are having this problem. The only one that has managed to "cure" it in his herd has given Cydectin as a drench (it is a pour-on for cattle.) Did the anemia cure work? If so, I wonder how to seperate the two conditions. One of the persons in Texas relayed that he recently spent some time in Mexico, and they were calling the problem by some name that I think is a parasite, but I haven't figured out which one- he didn't know the spelling, so I probably won't be able to track that one down. Valbazen kills a different set of parasites, so the Cydectin may still be of value.
The only time I have seen goats with swollen necks is when they had a bad worm problem. I am so sorry you lost your little baby goats. If the momma goat seemed sickly then she was possibly too weak or disinterested to help her kids after they were born.
i would guess they are resistant to the valbazon, i would drench with cydecton to. its expensive but good. ivermecton injectable given orally may work also.
