Hi everyone!
Just added this fellow to our family. I have 10 years exp. with animals, including veterinary experience but not very familiar with goats. I was wondering if someone might help me identify him by breed. I'm leaning towards pygmy, but he seems a tad bit large, and not built quite the same. Asides from La Mancha, Nubians and Toggenburgs I'm not good at identifying goats very well.
While I'm at it I'll tell you the story of this boy.
Last Sunday I got a call from my landlord, and old boss, who is also a veterinarian, asking if we were missing a goat as a deputy found one at the end of our road that was attacked by dogs and had brought him to the clinic. Well we used to have sheep, and have on little 'special' ram left who is with us for life, but no goats. So I called back and left a msg. saying no we didn't have any, but would be willing to take a look at him and give him a home if need be.
I had to go by the clinic anyways the next day and I asked to see the goat. Well they were so packed and the new vet he has up there was running the show since Doc. had left for the holiday (and she and I don't get along btw) and she said she didn't have time to mess with him. Well Doc originally had him in an indoor kennel, but she moved him outside on the back deck in a large open wire dog crate with the sun on him all day long, not to mention 98 degree weather. So not even seeing him wounds I immediately said load him in the car he's coming home, as he was severely dehydrated just from being out in the sun. As I was getting ready to put him in the car I got a good look at his wounds. His right ear was completely torn off his head, his lef ear sustained substantial trauma and was nearly severed, and his left front leg, although not an open wound was about 3 times the size it shoul have been. There are minor abrasions on that leg, but because it was a crushing injury caused by the dogs pressue behind it's bite almost all the ligaments, muscle and tendons from the elbow down are crushed and ruptured. To make things worse...since he was left out in such poor conditions flies and bots were in the wounds. So I whisked him away to the barn where he has been covering for the past 7 days, today.
The first three days were touch an go, getting him hydrated and cleaning the wounds was my top priority. I put him on antibiotics, B complex, priobitics and electrolytes, and gave him one of those small rabbit mineral disks, he loves that because he can pick it up and carry it around with him to suck and lick on it. Each day he has perked up more and more. On the 4th I suspected a sub. qu. blood clot in the leg, he started swelling again. I had to make a small inciscion and work that out, one of the largest ones I have seen. Hooked him up to and I.V. to break up any other bruising and replenish his fluids, and also spent about two hours tractioning the leg out to make sure circulation was allowed to move through. The vet I don't agree with came out the next day, and was telling me working on the leg was a waste of time and that amputation was the best thing to do. Well I refused, as I will devote all my time and energy to getting anything to make a full recovery. I have no problem with amputation when it is needed, but the only reason she wanted to do it was because she felt it was too time consuming.
By Friday he was up and finished the pound of grain in his bucket and ate his flake of hay. He was drinking 2 litres a day, and was looking bright and happy. We took our first walk outside and he loved it but got tired easily. Saturday he took a longer walk and was eating everything in sight. Yesterday he was ever more upbeat and was out for nearly 2 hours, he even ran! He does take frequent breaks, but managed to squirm underneath the gate the meet the horse, donkeys and our little ram. He took it all in stride. The ears are almost completely healed, and he actually had some mobility in the leg yesterday so hopefully in a few more weeks we'll really see progress there.
We're so happy to have him, and I'm am head over heels in love with this boy, who's name is Juan Pablo btw. He's sweet as he can be, not a mean bone in his body, even with those formidable horns! He loves to be petted and scratched and enjoys naps in the shade. He follows me absolutely everywhere and will 'talk' to us. We love him! My husband actually suggested looking into a girlfriend for him later down the road. Perhaps we're venturing into goats now!*lol* Sorry to make this a marathon I just had to tell his story. The leaps and bounds he has made in 7 days astounds me as those wounds should of taken weeks to heal. I honestly was not giving him good odds last Monday, roughly 50/50, but I knew he was something special and I was going to do my best, and he did his. Can't wait to go home and play with him tonight and go for our walk. If anyone can tell me what he is please let me know! Thanks everyone, enjoyed browsing through your goat adventures as well and look forward to discussing them with you!!
-Kristen
Oh, I'll post pics from last Monday (a bit graphic) and then a pics from yesterday showing his progress.
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Oh! One last question. When he blinks the entire scelera covers the eyes, making it look like his eyes roll back into his head, is this normal? I have never seen this before, and it doesn't seem to bother him. I thought it may be because I used vinegar to clean the wounds and may of irritated his eyes but I haven't used vinegar for three days nows and he still does it. Thanks!
Just added this fellow to our family. I have 10 years exp. with animals, including veterinary experience but not very familiar with goats. I was wondering if someone might help me identify him by breed. I'm leaning towards pygmy, but he seems a tad bit large, and not built quite the same. Asides from La Mancha, Nubians and Toggenburgs I'm not good at identifying goats very well.
While I'm at it I'll tell you the story of this boy.
Last Sunday I got a call from my landlord, and old boss, who is also a veterinarian, asking if we were missing a goat as a deputy found one at the end of our road that was attacked by dogs and had brought him to the clinic. Well we used to have sheep, and have on little 'special' ram left who is with us for life, but no goats. So I called back and left a msg. saying no we didn't have any, but would be willing to take a look at him and give him a home if need be.
I had to go by the clinic anyways the next day and I asked to see the goat. Well they were so packed and the new vet he has up there was running the show since Doc. had left for the holiday (and she and I don't get along btw) and she said she didn't have time to mess with him. Well Doc originally had him in an indoor kennel, but she moved him outside on the back deck in a large open wire dog crate with the sun on him all day long, not to mention 98 degree weather. So not even seeing him wounds I immediately said load him in the car he's coming home, as he was severely dehydrated just from being out in the sun. As I was getting ready to put him in the car I got a good look at his wounds. His right ear was completely torn off his head, his lef ear sustained substantial trauma and was nearly severed, and his left front leg, although not an open wound was about 3 times the size it shoul have been. There are minor abrasions on that leg, but because it was a crushing injury caused by the dogs pressue behind it's bite almost all the ligaments, muscle and tendons from the elbow down are crushed and ruptured. To make things worse...since he was left out in such poor conditions flies and bots were in the wounds. So I whisked him away to the barn where he has been covering for the past 7 days, today.
The first three days were touch an go, getting him hydrated and cleaning the wounds was my top priority. I put him on antibiotics, B complex, priobitics and electrolytes, and gave him one of those small rabbit mineral disks, he loves that because he can pick it up and carry it around with him to suck and lick on it. Each day he has perked up more and more. On the 4th I suspected a sub. qu. blood clot in the leg, he started swelling again. I had to make a small inciscion and work that out, one of the largest ones I have seen. Hooked him up to and I.V. to break up any other bruising and replenish his fluids, and also spent about two hours tractioning the leg out to make sure circulation was allowed to move through. The vet I don't agree with came out the next day, and was telling me working on the leg was a waste of time and that amputation was the best thing to do. Well I refused, as I will devote all my time and energy to getting anything to make a full recovery. I have no problem with amputation when it is needed, but the only reason she wanted to do it was because she felt it was too time consuming.
By Friday he was up and finished the pound of grain in his bucket and ate his flake of hay. He was drinking 2 litres a day, and was looking bright and happy. We took our first walk outside and he loved it but got tired easily. Saturday he took a longer walk and was eating everything in sight. Yesterday he was ever more upbeat and was out for nearly 2 hours, he even ran! He does take frequent breaks, but managed to squirm underneath the gate the meet the horse, donkeys and our little ram. He took it all in stride. The ears are almost completely healed, and he actually had some mobility in the leg yesterday so hopefully in a few more weeks we'll really see progress there.
We're so happy to have him, and I'm am head over heels in love with this boy, who's name is Juan Pablo btw. He's sweet as he can be, not a mean bone in his body, even with those formidable horns! He loves to be petted and scratched and enjoys naps in the shade. He follows me absolutely everywhere and will 'talk' to us. We love him! My husband actually suggested looking into a girlfriend for him later down the road. Perhaps we're venturing into goats now!*lol* Sorry to make this a marathon I just had to tell his story. The leaps and bounds he has made in 7 days astounds me as those wounds should of taken weeks to heal. I honestly was not giving him good odds last Monday, roughly 50/50, but I knew he was something special and I was going to do my best, and he did his. Can't wait to go home and play with him tonight and go for our walk. If anyone can tell me what he is please let me know! Thanks everyone, enjoyed browsing through your goat adventures as well and look forward to discussing them with you!!
-Kristen
Oh, I'll post pics from last Monday (a bit graphic) and then a pics from yesterday showing his progress.
Oh! One last question. When he blinks the entire scelera covers the eyes, making it look like his eyes roll back into his head, is this normal? I have never seen this before, and it doesn't seem to bother him. I thought it may be because I used vinegar to clean the wounds and may of irritated his eyes but I haven't used vinegar for three days nows and he still does it. Thanks!
Watch out, goats are addicting.
