# Please help me with my sick buckling



## phoenixmama (May 8, 2011)

He was born April 20th.  Symptoms started three days ago: doesn't want milk (can get him to take just a few oz. at a time), fever (highest 105.3), scouring, gunky eye (not sure if this is due to pollen or because he's sick...started before he stopped wanting his milk), blueish-purple tongue (and he seems to have "forgotten" how to properly suckle form the bottle).

I just gave him .25 mL Banamine (he's 15 lb.) to try to bring down his fever...hoping that it will make him feel better, thus more apt to drink milk.  He's in the garage so he's out of the heat (it's been in the low 100 degrees these last few days).  

I also have Vit. B complex injectable and Bio-Mycin on hand.  Feed stores around here close on Sundays...so my options are limited as far as running out to pick something else up.  

What should I do next?


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## elevan (May 8, 2011)

I would give the antibiotic that you have on hand since you don't have access to anything else today.  Don't know the dosage cause I don't use that one.

I would get some pedialyte into him (or an equivalent of it).  If he won't take it in a bottle I'd just squirt a little at a time into him (drench)


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## phoenixmama (May 8, 2011)

Well, the .25 mL shot of Banamine has helped him feel better.  I was able to get about 8 oz. total of electrolyte/water/molasses mixture (4 oz.) then another 4 oz. of milk.  And I saw him urinate...a very pale yellow...so that calms my worries about dehydration a bit.


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## elevan (May 8, 2011)

Given fever, diarrhea, and eye gunk I would suspect infection of some sort and would use antibiotics too.


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## 20kidsonhill (May 8, 2011)

bio-mycin wouldn't be my first pick of an antiobiotic, but I think I would give it to him. It is 1 cc per 40lbs, I would probably give him/her around 1/2 cc unless he is a pygmy breed then a little less.  I would be worried he will  be too sick to wait get Penn G in him or something stronger that isn't and oxy-tretracyclene drug.  slightly delayed growth rate is better than dead goat.


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## elevan (May 8, 2011)

20kidsonhill said:
			
		

> bio-mycin wouldn't be my first pick of an antiobiotic, but I think I would give it to him. It is 1 cc per 40lbs, I would probably give him/her around 1/2 cc unless he is a pygmy breed then a little less.  I would be worried he will  be too sick to wait get Penn G in him or something stronger that isn't and oxy-tretracyclene drug.  slightly delayed growth rate is better than dead goat.


Right symptoms have already been going on 3 days. I wouldn't let them go another day without starting antibiotics.  Since it's what you have and the stores around you aren't open today, you should probably go ahead and use what you have on hand.


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## Emmetts Dairy (May 9, 2011)

Hows he doing???  I would also recomend giving him the Vit B shot and get some baking soda into him, I would add some to the electrolyte mix you made, since hes taking that in. 

Depending on what the eye looks like you may want to get some terramycin into it too to sooth as well.  At his age I believe the gel would be fine.  As they get older the gel dos'nt work that great on pink eye and stronger germs.  But he is young.  

How are his lung sounds???  Does he sound raspy or full???  It does sound like infection to me.  Poor little guy.  I would get some anitbiotic into him, baking soda, molasses and vit B..and see how he does.    

Good luck.  And Im sorry.  

PS  I would not give him scour halt or anything to stop the scours...cuz most times that must come out.  Just keep an eye on the fluid intake and make sure he's getting enough.


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## phoenixmama (May 9, 2011)

Just another update...the Banamine really has helped him feel better.  It's pretty remarkable actually.  He's not drinking his full 14 oz. of milk at a time, he's taking about 8 oz. at a time.  I'm okay with that...I'm just feeding him 4-6 times a day to make sure he's getting enough milk.  I've decided the gunk in his eye is due to all the mesquite pollen blowing around...because since he's been moved into the garage, his eyes are clear.  His lungs are clear, not congested or raspy at all.  He's still scouring, but I feel confident he isn't dehydrated.  

I haven't given him antibiotics yet...I just keep getting different opinions on the matter.  And since he's improving, I've don't feel like starting them now.  He's going on his 5th day of being "off"...I would think if he was going to get really bad or die that it would have happened by now, right?  I've got a vet that can come over any time...so I've been holding off on calling unless he stops improving or starts getting worse.  

I'm starting to wonder if maybe he got a hold of an oleander flower that blew in from the neighbor's yard.  They blow in sometimes...the older goats don't mess with them, but he's only a few weeks old and I'm sure he doesn't know better.


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## Roll farms (May 9, 2011)

Giving banamine long term is putting a band aid on the problem, and it's a band aid that can do long-term damage to his organs.  It is masking the symptoms but not curing the problem.

If he's got a fever when he's off banamine, he's got an infection of some sort.  He *might* fight it off on his own, if allowed to keep the fever (that's what a fever is for, to heat up / kill the invading bacteria or virus) but if the fever is gone and the banamine is making him feel better, he may be getting worse and not showing it....b/c the banamine makes him 'feel' ok.

Scouring isn't normal, something is causing it...and long term scouring means he's not absorbing the nutrition he needs.

I would take a poop sample in to the vet at least, and try to find out what's causing the scouring and find out what they recommend to treat it. 

He's close to the age where coccidia can be an issue, and long term untreated coccidiosis can cause irreparable scarring / damage to his intestines.

I'm not saying don't use banamine...I'm saying don't use banamine long-term or to 'mask' a genuine illness that does need treated.

If I take tylenol for a toothache, the tylenol doesn't cure the cavity, just masks the pain while the cavity continues to grow...


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## elevan (May 9, 2011)

Roll farms said:
			
		

> Giving banamine long term is putting a band aid on the problem, and it's a band aid that can do long-term damage to his organs.  It is masking the symptoms but not curing the problem.
> 
> If he's got a fever when he's off banamine, he's got an infection of some sort.  He *might* fight it off on his own, if allowed to keep the fever (that's what a fever is for, to heat up / kill the invading bacteria or virus) but if the fever is gone and the banamine is making him feel better, he may be getting worse and not showing it....b/c the banamine makes him 'feel' ok.
> 
> ...


x2


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## phoenixmama (May 9, 2011)

Roll farms said:
			
		

> Giving banamine long term is putting a band aid on the problem, and it's a band aid that can do long-term damage to his organs.  It is masking the symptoms but not curing the problem.


I've given just the one .25 mL dose of Banamine.  Call me crazy, but I wouldn't call that long term.  

Edited to add:  He's acting back to normal now...just drank his full 14 oz. and he's had a dry behind since this morning.  I've got my fingers crossed that he's kicked this bug.  I talked to the breeder he came from and she told me that she's had several kids over the years present with the same kind of symptoms...act sick for a few days then just snap out of it, all around this same time of year.  Who knows what he had/has...I just hope he stays on this path of improvement.  I'm happy that in the last 24 hours we've gotten him to take the "right amount" of milk.  He's cute, and he cost me $400!


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## Roll farms (May 10, 2011)

Nope, wouldn't call that long-term either...I was ASSuming (and you know what that does) you were giving it repeatedly.

Glad he's feeling better.

BUT...If I had a $400.00 buckling w/ the poops, for my own peace of mind, I'd take a poo sample in just to make sure what's what.


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## Ariel301 (May 10, 2011)

Roll farms said:
			
		

> Nope, wouldn't call that long-term either...I was ASSuming (and you know what that does) you were giving it repeatedly.
> 
> Glad he's feeling better.
> 
> BUT...If I had a $400.00 buckling w/ the poops, for my own peace of mind, I'd take a poo sample in just to make sure what's what.


Me too. (Though I run my own because the vets here don't care about goats and won't do them, or charge a ridiculous amount if they do)


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## phoenixmama (May 10, 2011)

Ariel301 said:
			
		

> Roll farms said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


That's my problem...I need to get a microscope.  The goat vet. that I use here sends fecals out...and they are really pricey.  If he was still sick...I'd do it, but he's acting 100% back to normal now.  I haven't actually seen him poop, but his backside has stayed dry since yesterday morning.  And he's back on his regular milk schedule...guzzling everything down as if he's starving.


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