# I Thought She was Getting Better... what now!-UPDATES



## ThornyRidge (Jan 11, 2011)

Anyway to continue my drama/saga with the pygmy doe I have posted on before in this thread.. well it seems we are back to the mystery condition tonight.. not showing much interest in food.. did drink some water.. standing off alone away from heard and the new one tonight is a weird sniffing the ground thing. going around perimeter of barn sniffing the ground and wood.. not sure what this means.. still no symptoms to diagnose with.. this is just boggling my mind and making me worry since this just "came on overnight" and this goat has never had any "off/health" issues!  will see what tomorrow brings.. but I am just getting so frustrated!  She was her normal self yesterday..now  not so much.. and you know just by watching something is wrong you just can't figure it out!  would be soooo much easier if they could talk and tell you!


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## AlaskanShepherdess (Jan 11, 2011)

I can't recall everything discussed in the other thread, but is she preggo?


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## SDGsoap&dairy (Jan 11, 2011)

It's weird you'd mention she's continually sniffing the wood- New Year's when we had the ugly dystocia the doe spent a good part of the next day doing just that.  She wasn't completely off her feed, but definitely didn't have much of an appetite and she kept sniffing and licking her water bucket, feed pan, and especially the wood walls in the kidding stall.  At the time I attributed it to the licking/cleaning behavior you'd normally see directed at the kids post parturition, but of course the kids weren't there.  It makes me wonder if maybe it's something to do with hormones since she's cystic?  Not her being off feed, but the licking.  That's not much help, it just made me curious about it.


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## ThornyRidge (Jan 11, 2011)

doe not preggo.. cystic most definately.. to actually see her she has almost taken on appearance of buck without the shaggier coat and testicles!  she just has a masculine look to her.. like a little tank if you will.. anyway.. yeah the sniffing thing was weird.. first this has been observed.. wondering too what tripped the trigger big time on hormones if that is indeed the answer.. i just hate sitting back watching and seeing her not showing interest in food and cudding.. thankfully she is not shivering anymore.. slight warm up into the 20s here.. but still so frustrated.. will prob keep giving her some supplement type stuff until something significant happens for good or bad.


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## SDGsoap&dairy (Jan 11, 2011)

Hope she feels better soon, you're certainly doing your best!


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## AlaskanShepherdess (Jan 11, 2011)

I know that in humans interest in tasting nonedible (wood, plastic, dirt etc)  things is usually a sign of mineral deficiency.

For her hormones try giving her some red raspberry leaves. You can buy a lb for around $16 at a Health Food Store. That may be enough to help, but if not chaste tree berry also helps regulate the hormones.


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## ThornyRidge (Jan 11, 2011)

she/they have out free choice loose sweetlix meatmaker goat minerals.. what is this chaste berry?? hmm have not heard of this.. too bad it i winter I have tons of wild blackberries/raspberries gowing here.. she does like pine needles right now.. not sure what that is about.. know their are high in vit.c or something.. not even sure how much may be suddenly related to age.. she has been a healthy gal and very spunky (bucky) but is approaching 9.  thanks for all the support everyone.. Tinkerbelle and I thank you!


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## AlaskanShepherdess (Jan 11, 2011)

It's an herb that helps normalize hormones.  http://www.naturopathic-health.co.uk/agnus-castus-herbal-remedy.htm

When you give her raspberry leaves just make sure they aren't wilted. Guess there is something toxic in them that is present when wilted, but not when fresh or dried.


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## ksalvagno (Jan 11, 2011)

What about cancer? With never giving birth, still having her uterus, cystic ovaries and her age.


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## ThornyRidge (Jan 12, 2011)

UPdate: she was off again by herself shivering in corner.. nibbled a couple pieces of hay and a bite of grain.. I gave her a drench of probios paste and some vit a,d,e,b12 paste.. gonna call my vet.. when you go over and pet her she perks up and loves to be rubbed on... and offered her some pine needles again and she about knocked me down eating them.. gobbled them up.. not sure what this means..my goats have always loved white pine needles but she is nutso for them now and it is only thing she will eat... i offered her a few that I pulled off tree tonight and she came over and once she realized what they were.. she was staniding up on me gobbling them! she also was still doing that sniffing thing including areas of barn where I question why she is sniffing. gonna call my vet tomorrow see what he says.. I am just baffled and stumped.. this is just weird..


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## ksalvagno (Jan 12, 2011)

Hopefully the vet can figure it out. It is strange.


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## warthog (Jan 12, 2011)

Hope your vet has some answers for you, must be very worrying.

Good luck and keep us posted.


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## Roll farms (Jan 12, 2011)

Throwing this out there....are her teeth ok?
Maybe pine needles are all she can easily eat????

I'm as stumped as everyone else....


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## ThornyRidge (Jan 12, 2011)

teeth seem to be ok.. because for a couple of days she was back to normal.. which included gobbling up animal crackers.. they hay I am using is  a soft type too.. not really course.. actually would think it maybe softer than pine needles..we will see what I can find out.. also stumbled across a new vet in my area (well within 25 miles) that specializes in livestock.. she just recently opened a livestock clinic.. may consult with her also..


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## ohiofarmgirl (Jan 13, 2011)

dont rule out calling the OSU vet program... they may be able to consult over the phone.

good luck!


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## ThornyRidge (Jan 13, 2011)

no difference tonight.. again gobbled pine needles and nothing else.. well took one small bite of hay.. drenched with some power punch and vit a,d.e b12 gel and probios paste.  still standing incorner.. shivering.. squatting with nothing (like pushing/contractions) no sniffing tonight but showed interest in one of my does that is in heat.. sniffing but and flapped tongue at her a couple times while bumping her.  then went back to corner.. called my vet and ran all info by him.. thinks it may be hormonal too.. offered to do some more hormone shots and take a look at her.. will tote her to him tomorrow afternoon.. the other damn thing is why always inwinter when there is like 8 inches of snow and it is so friggen cold..  so much easier to doctor and monitor when weather is decent and they actually show activity.. heck I havent opened my barn much at all for nearly 3 weeks cause it is so cold and so much snow they don't even want to go out!


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