[Dale in Ar]

I have a yearling doe down and don't know what the problem is.She didn't eat yesterday morning but just hung around with the other yearlings.When I got home yesterday,she did not come in with the others.I found her laying down and she felt cold.I put her up and gave her 2cc of penicellin.She wouldn't try to get up.This morning ,her head is turned back and she is not trying to straighten it out.She has no color in her eye lids.She was wormed a couple months ago with the rest of the herd.I gave her another 2cc of penicellin,that is about all I have to give her.Any ideas to get her on her way up????

 

[DQ]

if her head is curled up I would suspect goat polio. it is caused by a thiamin ( a b-vitamin ) deficiency
you need to get b vitamins in her asap, or she will be gone. the best is an rx injectable from the vet. the second best is the injectable from a feed store over the counter. third best is orally from your drugstore. I am not an expert but I see no one has responded to you yet. the head curled back is a typical sign of goat polio.thiamin won't hurt if its not that. it will take massive amounts to bring her back that is why you really need the rx. it is hard to get enough in them the other ways. if her eyleids are pale and she is down, the outcome of this is not good so prepare yourself. this is an emergency. call your vet and they may give you the thiamin without a seeing her. be insistent and confident in the diagnosis on the phone with them even if you are not. they don't want to give rx without seeing the animal unless they feel like they are talking to someone who knows what they are doing. if you want o save this doe don not hesitate for 1 minute!
added --you can probably get the thiamin from any vet, choose the closest one.
is she pregnant or nursing? what is her temp?

 

[DQ]

(870) 453-8291 Flippin, Ar Connie Floyd


this is a number off goat 911, if Flippin, Ar is close to you she could probably help.

 

[Patty0315]

We need more info. If she has no color in her eye lids worm her now with cydectin 1 cc per 22 ;bs. She need iron give her red cell or something similar not just once but for at least a week.

She needs proibios to keep her stomach going . Bo-se to boost immune system b vit also .

Polio treatment is thiamine 10 mg/kg b.w. repeated every 6 hours for the next 24. About 4.5 cc per 100lb of goat . First injection should be iv

It could also be tetnause has she had any cuts ? Is she utd on vaccines ?

What is her temp ?


Patty

 

[DQ]

whew, I'm glad you showed up patty! Please let us know what happens Dale, my thoughts are with you.

 

[ladybug]

Did you find out what was wrong with her? I hope she gets better real soon!!

 

[fishhead]

A twisted neck can also be listeriosis. Hopefully it's not.

Check the jaw. Try to see if she can or cannot swallow. If you are absolutely sure she can't her fate is already written and the humane thing to do is to put her down. The one I lost last year would stick his face into the water bucket up to his eyes and just hold it there but could not swallow. His head was twisted down to the left. My vet said there was no hope at that point.

Could the cold temp indicate pneumonia or just not eating?

 

[Dale in Ar]

Well the outcome is not good.I came back from worship services and went out to check on the doe.She was streched out and had died while I was gone.Thanks everyone for the info and I'll keep all the info on file just in case I may need it again,hope not.I'll also try to find some of the things suggested to use,since I don't have anything suggested.Question now,what should I give to an animal when they go off the feed but have no idea as to what the problem is ???

 

[fishhead]

I'm sorry to hear you lost her.

 

[Vicki McGaugh TX Nubians]

Just to interject something. She likely died from anemia caused by worms. Down with her head pulled to the side is just death coming. With no blood supply she is lethargic, won't eat, won't get up to even get a drink of water. Her liver fails, usually you will see some fluid build up under the throat (bottle jaw) and her feet and bottom of her legs. She dehydrates and dies.

I would look at the rest of the herd very carefully, have some fecals ran. A yearling doe is an odd age to loose first unless she was at the bottom of the totem pole in the pecking order and was picked on more, had just kidded, or was sickly or injured. You usually loose your youngest and oldest first. Vicki

 

[DQ]

I was afraid of that, thinking that her laying with her head back was her just waiting for death and not a symptom unto itself. I'm sorry you lost her dale. I think when an animal goes off feed you have to find out what the problem is before you can do anything real useful. pro-bios and b-complex and a good worming won't ever hurt though and might buy you some time till you figure out the problem. MAKE SURE you are worming with something effective.

 

[goatkid]

If a goat goes off feed, the first thing I do is take her temperature. If it's subnormal and she's in milk, I treat with subQ calcium. If she is dry, I call the vet. If she has a fever, I give either Excenel or Nuflor. If her temp is normal, she gets probios and a shot of thiamin. I also check for diarreah. Sometimes a goat won't eat her grain for a feeding or two if she has an upset rumen. I treat that first with probios and sodium bicarb along with a shot of B complex. If that doesn't help, I give liquid sulfa. If a goat is down and won't/can't get up and I'm determined to save rather than euthanize her, I take her to the vet.

 

[Milk n' Honey]

Dale, so sorry to hear about your doe. I lost a doe this way. Many times they fold their head when they are about to die. It is really sad. The last thing, stretched out, is usually from laying on their side and making a running motion with their feet. I'd make a habit of checking eyelids and gums. One good idea is to learn to do your own fecals....something I have on my list of things to do. Once she was down, there probably wasn't much you could do. Don't beat yourself up about it. I've read that some people are having trouble with Barber Pole Worm and it is becoming resistant to the chemical dewormers. Also, we found out our problem was from whipworm and lungworm. It really helps to know what is going on. The lungworm was causing parasitic pneumonia plus severe anemia. I had a necropsy done to find out this info. I'd consider doing that if I were you. I saved several other does after I lost two of them b/c I had the necropsy done. It is hard telling how many I'd have lost if I never found out the problem. The other thing is, sometimes you lose one. It is part of raising animals so don't blame yourself. Again, so sorry you lost her. That is always difficult.